Medical Spanish lessons for nurses and allied health staff
Become Fluent teaches nurses and allied health staff the Spanish they use at the bedside and at the front of the clinic: intake questions, checking symptoms, explaining medication and giving discharge instructions. Lessons are private, one-on-one and online, 60 minutes each, and built around your unit and your level, from A1 to C1 and above. Your tutor has 15 years of teaching experience and an MA in Romance Languages.
Typical encounters
| Encounter | What you say | What you hear |
|---|---|---|
| Intake and triage | Ask the patient's name, the reason for the visit and how long the symptoms have lasted. | The symptom description and the answers to basic questions. |
| Vital signs and checks | Explain what you are about to do and ask the patient to cooperate. | Questions and worries about the procedure. |
| Asking about symptoms | Ask where, how much and since when, and ask about pain. | Descriptions of pain and discomfort in everyday words. |
| Medication questions | Check what the patient takes and explain how to take new medication. | The patient's questions about doses and side effects. |
| Patient education | Explain care at home in short, clear steps. | The patient repeating the steps back. |
| Discharge teaching | Go over instructions and warning signs, and when to call or return. | Questions from the patient and family members. |
Sample dialogue: intake
| Speaker | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse | Buenos días. ¿Cómo se llama? | Good morning. What is your name? |
| Patient | Me llamo Rosa Díaz. | My name is Rosa Díaz. |
| Nurse | ¿Cuál es el motivo de su visita? | What is the reason for your visit? |
| Patient | Tengo fiebre y tos desde hace tres días. | I have had a fever and a cough for three days. |
| Nurse | Voy a tomarle la temperatura y la presión. | I am going to take your temperature and blood pressure. |
| Patient | Está bien. | That's fine. |
| Nurse | Respire profundo, por favor. | Breathe deeply, please. |
| Nurse | ¿Está tomando algún medicamento? | Are you taking any medication? |
| Patient | Solo tomo vitaminas. | I only take vitamins. |
| Nurse | Gracias. El médico la va a ver en unos minutos. | Thank you. The doctor will see you in a few minutes. |
A 10-session outline
- Assessment and goals. Your level, your unit and the situations you meet at work.
- Welcoming the patient. Greetings, names and the reason for the visit.
- Asking about symptoms. Where, how much, since when and pain.
- Vital signs and basic checks. Telling the patient what you are doing and what you need.
- Body parts and common complaints. Everyday words and regional variation.
- Medication questions. What the patient takes, and how to take new medication.
- Patient education. Care at home in short, clear steps.
- Discharge teaching. Instructions, warning signs and when to return.
- Calling the patient or family. Phone follow-up and clarifying questions.
- A full simulated shift. A set of encounters in a row, with feedback and a plan for the next sessions.
Your plan is adjusted to your specialty and your level after the first lesson.
Your tutor
- Ross Torres, founder of Become Fluent
- 15 years of teaching experience
- MA in Romance Languages, University of New Orleans
- Certificate in Spanish-English legal interpretation, San Francisco State University
- Native English and Spanish speaker
These lessons are language training. They are not a clinical qualification or an interpreter qualification.
Book a free 30-minute trial lesson
Tell us your role and where you are with Spanish. Your tutor will plan the first lessons around them.
Book a free 30-minute trial lesson