Anna Jordan
Butts
May 2020
Anna Jordan
Butts
University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing
Jackson
,
MS
United States
Having someone to speak to you in your native language during a time like labor and birth of your child provides that added support, calm, and encouragement that may have been missed.
During spring 2020, Anna Jordan was assigned to the Labor & Delivery unit. On numerous occasions, Anna Jordan's ability to speak Spanish was used to ensure a positive patient experience and outcome. Having someone to speak to you in your native language during a time like labor and birth of your child provides that added support, calm, and encouragement that may have been missed. Speaking Spanish is NOT a nursing skill, it is a personal skill and talent. Anna Jordan used this talent and skill to go above and beyond to make sure her patients had the best experience possible. It's no wonder she was offered the ONE job in Labor & Delivery in Dallas that so many applied for.
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On Tuesday the staff on 5 North received a newly admitted patient to the unit who was unable to speak any English. It was after hours and the UMC interpreters were not available. The staff attempted to utilize their video-conferencing translation services for the patient. However, because the patient spoke a Guatemalan dialect (Mayan) rather than Spanish, the contractor was unable to translate for the patient at all. This left the patient and the staff with a major problem.
The patient did have a visitor at the bedside who spoke both the second dialect and Spanish but no English. Anna Jordan graciously volunteered to help translate a few critical pieces of information between the staff and the patient.
This took almost an hour of the nurse speaking in English to Anna Jordan, who then spoke in Spanish to the relative, who then spoke in the dialect to the patient, and then back again. This was well above and beyond her responsibilities in clinical that day, for a patient we were not responsible for.
We all greatly appreciate her help, and it allowed the staff to take care of this patient until an official translator could be acquired. The patient, the family member, and the 5 North staff were all greatly appreciative of her help!
***
On Tuesday the staff on 5 North received a newly admitted patient to the unit who was unable to speak any English. It was after hours and the UMC interpreters were not available. The staff attempted to utilize their video-conferencing translation services for the patient. However, because the patient spoke a Guatemalan dialect (Mayan) rather than Spanish, the contractor was unable to translate for the patient at all. This left the patient and the staff with a major problem.
The patient did have a visitor at the bedside who spoke both the second dialect and Spanish but no English. Anna Jordan graciously volunteered to help translate a few critical pieces of information between the staff and the patient.
This took almost an hour of the nurse speaking in English to Anna Jordan, who then spoke in Spanish to the relative, who then spoke in the dialect to the patient, and then back again. This was well above and beyond her responsibilities in clinical that day, for a patient we were not responsible for.
We all greatly appreciate her help, and it allowed the staff to take care of this patient until an official translator could be acquired. The patient, the family member, and the 5 North staff were all greatly appreciative of her help!