Sunday, June 27, 2010

Se Habla Espanol?

This is a story I shared on Facebook on March 9, 2009. I thought I would revisit it since it still makes me chuckle to this day. It details some of the "joys" of being a student-midwife. Enjoy!

Se Habla Espanol? Okay, so clinicals have been going great. Everyday I get a little more confident and am becoming more independent in patient care. I have even tackled a little Spanglish to get me by in my return OB visits until the interpreter arrives. Today I walked confidently into a patient room who was about 24 weeks pregnant. " Hola! Me amo Sarah, student pardenta." (whatever that means). "Como est da?" (blank look from patient) "Mi ablo un poquito Espanol" (which means i don't know what the hell i just said) Unfazed by the continued silence by my patient, I continue with.."dolor?, contraciones? sanguina bahina? aqua bahina?, mucho mueve bebe?" all the while waving my hands and arms wildly as if to illustrate what I am trying convey. (for those of you who are lost, i was asking if she had pain, contractions, loss of amniotic fluid or bleeding from down there, and if baby was moving a lot) The patient was silent and looked slightly scared, look toward the door a few times as if planning to escape..then she spoke softly, "Please, Arabic." Well, that will teach me to be so confident...

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