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Intermediate - Basic Medical Spanish for Healthcare Professionals


Course Overview

As a continuation of the Beginning  - Basic Medical Spanish for Healthcare Professionals course, this course has been specially designed for nurses, doctors, faculty, staff and  students, specifically from the College of Nursing, Pharmacy,  and Medicine who want to learn more advanced phrases, grammar, and vocabulary in Spanish related to health care.  The areas of focus for the course are the following:  (1) beginning conversational Spanish focusing on health, (2) pronunciation and basic grammar, (3) basic vocabulary related to healthcare, and (4) culturally competent care for Hispanic patients.  The teaching methods used in the course are based on the communicative approach to language learning, therefore students will be expected to speak in Spanish during each class meeting.  Class time will consist of one-on-one conversations, role plays, and dialogues related to the clinical setting, as well as some grammar and pronunciation exercises.  Some topics to be covered include the following: assessing medical history and health risks, physical examinations and parts of the body, illnesses and diseases, equipment and locations within the hospital, etc.   Also, students will be expected to practice on a weekly basis with a classmate outside of class; this practice is essential for strengthening speaking and listening skills as the course progresses.  This course is designed for students with some to adequate knowledge of Spanish and for those who have completed the beginning medical Spanish course.  Important:  Knowledge gained in this course is not meant to replace services provided by medical interpreters at MUSC.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course and related activities, the student will be able to

  1. Identify the linguistic factors necessary for the development of a rapport with Hispanic patients by participating in basic conversations when there is no medical interpreter present, recognizing that this course will not substitute for a Spanish speaking interpreter.
  2. Demonstrate sufficient speaking abilities necessary to gather basic information from patients by using “yes-no” questions and basic phrases in the present and past tenses.
  3. Identify cultural and social factors that influence interactions with health care providers and Hispanic patients.
  4. Work with persons with limited English proficiency (LEP) effectively in clinical situations with a medical interpreter
  5. Use the process of second language learning to demonstrate more culturally effective communication behaviors for use in situations with limited English proficiency patients

Method of Learning

Weekly classroom sessions, 2-hour duration
(Must be able to attend at least 11 of the 14 sessions)
     Day - Wednesdays
     Date - September 2 - December 9, 2009
     Time - 4:00 to 6:00pm
     Location - College of Nursing - Room 322

Evaluation and Successful Completion of Course

30% → Weekly participation in in-class activities based on the previous week’s assignment.  Faculty will provide assessment and feedback for continuing learning.

          - Participation will be graded weekly on a scale from 0-3
                    0 = absent
                    1 = minimal or no participation (left early, arrived late)
                    2 = average participation
                    3 = active participation

30% → Vocabulary and grammar written homework exercises weekly (10)

30% → Weekly quizzes (10)

10% → Final presentation

Faculty

Sam Cogdell, PhDc, BA

Continuing Education Credit

28 Nursing Contact Hours will be offered. (Partial Credit Nursing Contact Hours will be adjusted at end of course to reflect signed-in attendence)

Accreditation

The Medical University of South Carolina is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

Costs

Course Fee with Nursing Contact Hours:  $300.00
Course Fee without Nursing Contact Hours:  $270.00
Course Fee MUSC Student (Part Time):  $100.00
Course Fee MUSC Student (Full Time): No Charge - Included in Tuition

Textbook:     $50.00 (Purchased from Bookstore)

Required Text (available at MUSC Bookstore)

Chase, R. & Medina, C.  (2003).  An Introduction to Spanish for Health Care Workers:  Communication and Culture (2nd Ed.).  New Haven:  Yale University Press.

Optional materials:
(1) A good (not "pocket-size") Spanish-English dictionary, (Oxford, Collins, Webster, etc.); (2) 3x5 index cards

Office of Minority Health, (2001). National standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health Care (CLAS Standards).
Executive Summary Document, March 2001. Internet (2/14/2004)

Contact

Carol Whelan
Administrative Assistant
Office of Continuing Nursing Education
(843) 792-2651
Toll Free: 1-866-637-6835 Option #2
whelanc@musc.edu




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