Study guide · Greetings & Comfort
The first two minutes: walking in
Room entry and comfort, in the order you actually do it. María is your patient.
The first two minutes at the bedside, in the order you actually do it. María is your patient. She speaks Spanish. You have sixteen lines and a rule for when to stop. You are not assessing her. You are opening the door so the nurse and the interpreter can do their work with a patient who feels safe.
Work the steps top to bottom. Say the Spanish out loud. Read what María says back, and prove you understood it before you move on. Every step ends with a check. If you cannot answer the check, do not move on. Re-read what she said. Say the step back in your own words. If it is still not clear, stop and tell the nurse.
Step 01
Knock and wait
María was admitted an hour ago. Knock, wait for an answer, and step in where she can see you. Sit down. The first minute is permission, not procedure.
Say this:
Bienvenido. Nos da gusto que esté aquí.
Welcome. We are glad you are here.
María says back:
Gracias. Estoy nervioso.
Thank you. I'm nervous.
Check: She answers in a small voice and does not look at you. Do you start?
No. She has not answered yet, not really. You open with the welcome line and give her a second to arrive. Nerves at admission are normal. Listen for what is underneath.
Step 02
Say who you are
Say your name and your role in plain English first. Then the Spanish line. If you are a student, say so. María deserves to know exactly who is walking in.
Say this:
Buenas tardes. Voy a cuidarle hoy.
Good afternoon. I'll be caring for you today.
María says back:
¿Usted es mi enfermera?
Are you my nurse?
Check: Why say your role in English before the Spanish line?
Because your name badge is in English. Saying your role in English first lets her match the badge to the person, and saying you are a student is honest about who is walking in.
Step 03
Ask how she is
Open with the morning line, then the open question. If she answers in a rush of Spanish you cannot follow, you do not nod along.
Say this:
Buenos días. ¿Cómo amaneció?
Good morning. How did you wake up feeling?
Say this:
¿Cómo se siente?
How do you feel?
María says back:
Me duele más que ayer.
It hurts more than yesterday.
Check: She answers fast and you catch maybe three words. What do you do?
You stop. You tell her you will bring a qualified medical interpreter, and you go get them. Guessing at a symptom report is how errors happen. An open question can open a symptom report, and it is not yours to assess.
Stop here: An answer you cannot understand ends the Spanish. You do not nod along. You get the interpreter, and you tell the nurse what you could not catch.
Step 04
Ask about the night
One question tells you the last twelve hours.
Say this:
¿Cómo durmió?
How did you sleep?
María says back:
Mal. El dolor no me dejó.
Bad. The pain wouldn't let me.
Check: She says the pain kept her up. What is your job now?
None of it is yours to assess. You note it exactly as she said it and you tell the nurse. Pain that keeps a patient up is a pain report, and it is information, not small talk.
Step 05
Offer comfort
Two things you can give before you can give a report: a pillow and a blanket. Give them first.
Say this:
¿Necesita otra almohada?
Do you need another pillow?
Say this:
¿Tiene frío? Le traigo una cobija.
Are you cold? I'll bring you a blanket.
María says back:
Sí, por favor. Una para la espalda.
Yes, please. One for my back.
Check: She is shaking and asks for another blanket. What does the shaking tell you?
It can be cold or it can be chills from a fever. The blanket goes on either way, and the nurse hears about the shaking.
Step 06
Stay with her
María looks scared. Be present, not clever. The line is company, not treatment.
Say this:
Respire tranquilo. Estoy aquí.
Breathe easy. I'm here.
Say this:
Todo va a salir bien.
Everything is going to be okay.
María says back:
No puedo. Me falta el aire.
I can't. I can't breathe.
Check: She is breathing fast and clutching the sheet. Does the line fix that?
No. Company is not a treatment. You stay, you call for help, and you tell the nurse exactly what you saw. Shortness of breath is never just anxiety until the nurse says so. And comfort is never a prognosis.
Stop here: A scared patient who is breathing fast is a care-changing answer. You stay, you get help, you tell the nurse. You never talk a patient out of a symptom in Spanish.
Step 07
Give her the bell
Put the call bell in her hand, not on the table. Then say the line in Spanish so she actually uses it.
Say this:
Llámeme si necesita algo.
Call me if you need anything.
Say this:
Voy a estar aquí cerca.
I'll be right nearby.
María says back:
¿Con este botón?
With this button?
Check: Why say it in Spanish instead of just leaving the bell?
Because a patient who does not understand the bell effectively has no bell. The line in her language is what makes her press it.
Step 08
Ask about family
She says yes and gives you a number. Check the privacy and visitor list before you dial anything.
Say this:
¿Quiere que llame a su familia?
Would you like me to call your family?
María says back:
Sí. Mi hija. El número está en mi teléfono.
Yes. My daughter. The number is in my phone.
Check: She asks you to tell her family how she is doing. Do you?
No. That update comes from the nurse, with the interpreter. You write down the number and hand it off. Some numbers are not yours to dial, and some news is not yours to give.
Stop here: Clinical updates to family go through the nurse with the interpreter. You write down the number, you hand it off, and the Spanish script ends there.
Step 09
Say when you will be back
Thank her for her patience. Promise a return time you can keep. An hour is a promise she can hold you to.
Say this:
Regreso en una hora.
I will be back in one hour.
Say this:
Gracias por su paciencia.
Thank you for your patience.
María says back:
Está bien.
That's fine.
Check: Your hour slips. What do you do?
You go back and say so. Silence teaches her the call bell is faster than your word, and that is a lesson you do not want to teach.
Step 10
Close the round
End of shift, end of round. Before the good night, glance at the IV, the bed rails, the call bell. The good night is a safety check in disguise.
Say this:
Fue un placer cuidarle.
It was a pleasure caring for you.
Say this:
Buenas noches. Descanse.
Good night. Rest well.
María says back:
Gracias por todo.
Thank you for everything.
Check: Why does the closing line matter?
The closing line is the last thing she hears from you, and it carries the safety check with it. Say that caring for her was a pleasure, not a task.
The last line
If María says nobody has listened to her, listen. Write down what she said exactly as you heard it and bring it to the nurse. The rest happens with the interpreter.
Fue un placer cuidarle.