Training Hospital Employees In Medical Interpreting In 4 Steps

Training hospital employees in medical interpreting can be a wise, and lucrative decision for hospitals and their employees. While doctors, nurses and those working in specialized medical fields can absolutely benefit from medical interpreter training program, non-medical hospital staff like administrative personnel are the best option for the task. By providing staffed associates with medical interpreter training, hospitals can utilize their services to translate documents for Limited English Proficient (LEP) patients and provide services by interpreting during appointments whenever necessary or requested. While bilingual associates can do this to an extent, 40-hour medical interpreter training online teaches -among other things- essential medical vocabulary, pathology, basic concepts of biomedicine and anatomy & physiology; while practicing core interpreting competency skills like sight translation, consecutive interpreting and simultaneous interpreting that they wouldn't have otherwise received. When employees receive interpreting training, hospitals save thousands of dollars by foregoing translation agencies. While saving valuable time because there is no longer a need to search for an agency- meaning those hours of manpower can be devoted elsewhere. Training hospital employees in medical interpreting means a higher salary, career growth and transferrable skills that they can carry throughout their careers. You might be wondering:

"Why don't more leaders start training their hospital employees in medical interpreting if it's such a logical benefit to hospitals, their employees and every LEP patient?"

The question can only be answered by hospital decision makers. The fact remains that medical interpreters deliver language accessibility to LEP (Limited English Proficient) patients. Knowing that there are certified medical interpreters already employed at your hospital brings a sigh of relief for hospital owners and their patients who speak little to no English. But once you decide to offer training employees to become medical interpreters, how do you start? What are the steps?

Step 1: Be Bilingual

Being bilingual is a logical and essential first step before becoming an interpreter. In addition, prospective medical interpreting students must pass an oral language assessment pre-test by effectively demonstrating fluency and literacy skills in both English and the target language of choice.

Step 2: Go To School

Being at least 18 and having a minimum of a high-school diploma or GED is crucial for success. Having a bachelors degree or higher will earn you more money in the long run.

Step 3: Enroll In Our Online Medical Interpreting Course

Our online medical interpreting training program isn't like the others. With expert instructors who keep classes highly engaging, uniquely crafted LIVE webinar formatted✅ classes allow for in-the-moment feedback and correction that competitors cannot provide. While the other guys offer self-guided online classes, we believe that learning verbal skills like interpreting should involve learning with first-hand experience.

Step 4: Pass National Certification Exams*

While some students don't complete this step, if you want higher pay and official medical interpreter certification you must pass specific certification exams as well. In the United States, you can get certified through CCHI- Certification Commission for Health Interpreters or NBCMI- National Board for Certified Medical Interpreters. By passing out course, you will meet or exceed requirements✅ to enroll for those official exams. Each one is different, but both require proof of completing a 40-hour healthcare interpreting training and our course will satisfy those requirements.

Whether you are an individual who is considering enrolling in medical interpreter training to grow your career, or a hospital decision maker- there are endless benefits that come from training hospital employees in medical interpreting. In addition to online training, we provide on-site interpreter training for small groups that can be customized to address your employees individual needs. If you or someone you know is interested in our online Medical Interpreter Training Program with live instructors or on-site, our classes are offered in Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, Chinese, Haitian Creole or Vietnamese languages.