by Karen Malcolm
There are very few specialized programs preparing interpreters to work in healthcare settings, and yet many graduates of interpreter education programs will work in these settings. The following suggestions offer some ways that healthcare interpreting can be incorporated into existing interpreter education programs.
ELECTIVE COURSES
Students with elective courses in their program should be encouraged to consider taking the following courses (exact titles will vary by institution):
Medical interpreting:
Introduction to Biology
Human Anatomy and Physiology
Medical Terminology
Developmental Psychology
Death and Dying
Ethics and Healthcare
Mental Health Interpreting:
Introduction to Psychology
Developmental Psychology
Abnormal Psychology
Alcohol and Drug Addictions
INTEGRATING HEALTHCARE INTERPRETING INTO THE EXISTING CURRICULUM
Ethical Decision-Making in Healthcare Settings
Ethical discussions are an integral part of every interpreter education curriculum. Discussion of ethical dilemmas and/or case studies focused on healthcare dilemmas can be incorporated into classroom discussion. For some sample dilemmas, click here.
Another useful resource is the Treehouse video entitled Interpreting in Mental Health Settings. A number of scenarios are presented where the interpreter faces a dilemma in a mental health setting, followed by a commentary by the narrator. A study manual accompanies the video. To obtain these materials, click here.
Local interpreters who work in healthcare settings, who are willing to be contacted, could be presented with an ethical dilemma by students and engaged in dialogue about their preferred course of action, and why they would select that option. These discussions could be brought back to the classroom to share with the larger group.
Self Care
Dr. Michael Harvey is a psychologist in private practice in the Boston area, who has worked extensively with Deaf and hard of hearing clients. He continues to research vicarious trauma and interpreters, and the ways that interpreters are affected by their interpreting experiences. His website, www.michaelharvey-phd.com, offers valuable insights into the potential challenges interpreters face and can be used to generate discussion about the ways that healthcare interpreting could lead to vicarious traumatization.
Language development
Students working in healthcare settings need to develop their skill in discussing healthcare issues in both ASL and English. One resource for developing English language skills is the website English for Medical Purposes (www.emp-tmu.net), a free resource offered by the Tokyo Medical University. It offers an extensive list of medical interviews conducted in English, which can be used for developing familiarity with medical discourse. For programs teaching the Demand-Control Schema, an EIPI analysis could be conducted on an interview. The participants are Australian so there may be some challenges engaging with a different dialect of English than an American one. While the resource is free, you will need to register and create an account in order to access it.
This website offers some resources that can be used to facilitate language learning both in ASL and English. One of these is the on-line resource, entitled “Body Language”, which can be found under “Professional Development”, then “Workshops” (or click here). This on-line program is designed so that interpreters work in cohorts, and involves reading about health conditions, looking at diagrams that describe the condition, and then seeing the condition discussed in ASL. Students are able to tape themselves discussing the same condition, and then share their work with their cohort.
Another resource on this site can be found under “Medical Resources”, then “University of Minnesota, WEBANATOMY (or click here). This site can be used to develop an understanding of anatomy and includes self-tests as well as games that can involve several participants.
Interpreting skills development
There are a number of interpreting skills development resources available on this site under “Professional Development”, “Independent Study”. These cover topics such as the digestive system, cardiovascular health, taking medication, pregnancy, labor, and delivery, and interpreting in the Emergency Department. Several of these are available on line. These include both language development activities and interpreting skills activities. Students can practice interpreting interactions, and also analyze modeled interpretations.
Another useful activity involves role play. Students can practice live interpretations related to healthcare topics. Students can take turns role playing the participants, so that one student plays the Deaf patient or client, one plays the hearing practitioner, and another student interprets. It is helpful for the “Deaf” patient to use earplugs or some other means of blocking out what is said, so s/he is actually responding to the interpretation. Similarly, the “healthcare practitioner” should avert his/her eyes so as to also be responding to the interpretation.
These role plays are more effective with actual Deaf participants and actual healthcare providers. If your institution has any kind of healthcare programs (for example, nursing, psychiatric nursing, counseling, etc.), consider approaching them to involve students in these role plays. It benefits the interpreting students to practice with knowledgeable participants, and also benefits students in the healthcare programs to learn about working with interpreters. It is also useful to have Deaf people participate in these role plays. A small honorarium might be offered, or some other access to services at the institution as compensation for their time.
Prepare role play cards to hand to each participant (Deaf person, healthcare provider, interpreter). (Note: the Deaf person could also be the healthcare provider, but given that this is less common, the majority of the role plays will likely still have the Deaf person as the recipient of service.) Participants look only at their own card, because there may be different goals for each of the participants. They agree who will make the first utterance, and then continue for approximately 10 minutes, being as realistic as possible. There should be several observers who can offer observations and ask questions afterwards.
For some sample role plays, click here.
