Calif. paramedics take medical Spanish class
The eight-hour class included lessons in communicating relative to patient assessment, common answers, and anatomy
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By Alia Wilson
San Jose Mercury News
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Nearly 30 paramedics and EMTs participated in the first medical Spanish class in the county last month, hosted by Rural/Metro Paramedic and Ambulance Services and led by Paul Maxwell, paramedic and author of RAPID Rescue Spanish.
According to Rural/Metro, nearly 30 percent of Santa Clara County residents speak Spanish, and over the past three months, there have been numerous incidents in which paramedics identified language barriers as a challenge.
Maxwell agreed to lead a medical Spanish workshop with the goal of improving communication with Spanish-speaking pa- tients.
The eight-hour class included lessons in communicating relative to patient assessment, common answers, anatomy, childbirth, commands and Spanish pronunciation.
Serving as a paramedic for several years in San Diego, Maxwell had the opportunity to volunteer in Tijuana, Mexico, for two years. During that time, he kept a journal of Spanish medical words he picked up along the way. Those notes eventually became a book.
Maxwell learned first-hand how critical it is to communicate with his patients, especially during an emergency.
"Paramedics really do like to speak to their patients," Maxwell said. "They're there to rescue them, there to help them perhaps through one of the greatest tragedies of their life. To be able to speak to the person going through that, for a paramedic, is huge."
A large part of the class was also to build a large instructor base, so more classes can be held in the future.
Maxwell said Rural/Metro is willing to eventually open classes to outside agencies, whether for other paramedics, firefighters or ER nurses.
"Spanish-speaking patients deserve optimal patient care and to be given the best experience they possibly can have, just as much as English-speaking patients," Maxwell said. "I've also learned that it's very comforting for their family members when sending off their loved one in an ambulance with a paramedic that is able to communicate with them."
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