The ATA Chronicle - November/December 2017 - 19

FEATURE

BY ELIZABETH ESSARY

worked with an interpreter before. When
doctors aren't sure how to work with an
interpreter, they probably won't ask, and
they'll be grateful that you brought it up.
Waiting with the patient: It's time to stop
scaring interpreters about being alone
with the patient and to start talking about
why they don't want to be alone with
the patient. Basically, you don't want to
be there when the patient is telling you
about his or her condition and there's
nobody to interpret it to. You don't
want to compromise your neutrality and
confuse role boundaries. If the patient
wants to talk about the weather while
sitting in the waiting room, the world will
keep spinning. If she asks you about her
condition, politely suggest that she ask
the doctor the same question and that you
would be happy to interpret it for her.

From Beginning to End:
The Interpreted Medical Visit
Some pointers on etiquette and best practice when interpreting
in a medical setting.

F

or the first time in months, I took an
assignment for a medical interpreting
job. While my language skills are
just fine for this setting, I was reminded of
how difficult this work really is and how
flexible we have to be. The experience
also made me remember how nervous I
was when I was new, mostly because I had
no idea what to expect.
The points addressed here don't
have anything to do with terminology.
Terminology and asking for clarification
is a different matter. What follows is a
basic rundown of what you can expect
in an interpreted encounter in the
outpatient world.
Professional introduction with front
desk, patient and family, and clinical
staff: During the initial introductions,
www.atanet.org

I want to make sure that everyone
knows I'm the interpreter-not a family
member or friend who came with the
patient, and not a bilingual staff member
getting pulled from her regular duties to
interpret. I make it a point to introduce
myself not only to the patient, but also to
anyone who is with the patient (including
children). This helps build rapport
quickly and can ease any tension that
might be there when you've got bilingual
family members and you're afraid they're
going to give you a hard time, which,
by the way, almost never happens. The
patient's bilingual family members are
not there to harass the interpreter-they
just want their sister, mom, dad, etc.,
to be okay. When I introduce myself to
the doctor, I ask if he or she has ever

It's time to stop scaring
interpreters about being alone
with the patient and to start
talking about why they don't want
to be alone with the patient.

Sight translation for intake paperwork:
There are different ways to do this. One
option is to read to the patient what's on
the form and show them where to write.
If the patient doesn't know how to write,
you can sight translate the form and write
down the patient's answers. (Sometimes
they'll come right out and tell you they
can't write, sometimes they'll just ask
you to do the writing, and sometimes the
family member will fill it out, in the same
way I would fill out paperwork for a sick
family member.) If patients have questions
while you're filling out the form, make
sure to encourage them to ask the doctor.
Consecutive for the interview: The
nurse will ask the patient initial intake
questions: What medicines do you take?
How much do you weigh? Where is
your pain, and when did it start? What
does it feel like, and how bad is it on a
scale of one to ten? I use the consecutive
mode for the questions as well as for the
patient's answers.
American Translators Association

19


http://www.atanet.org

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