AllHealthcare

I think it's incredibly important to be able to communicate with all types of clients. In our office, we have a number of employees (be it PTs, admins, or interns) who can speak more than one language. We rely on them heavily if we have a patient whose first language isn't English - or even if they can speak English but they are more comfortable speaking another language. A few years ago, I took night classes to learn Spanish and I have found in very helpful, both in work and otherwise.

We as health care workers need to be fluent in spanish since it is a growing population in our country.  There's nothing we can do about immigration. We have no control.  But as a health care professional in order to care for people we need to be able to communicate.  Think about it, in other countries english is a second language.  Why isn't spanish a second language in our country?  This country was built on hepocrisy and greed now we need to deal with it and get with the program.  Until we can change things with our president and as american people we need to be able to go about our daily business with our careers and life.  There is still much black and white racism in this country.  We need to wake up become educationed and knowledgable.  To late to complain! they are human and are here in this country apart of the americans.  Can't deport them.  This is our presidents doing.  Land of the FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It depends on the level of assimliation.  Language is component of culture and that is the bigger issue and that is where people who grew up in countries where the language is spoken have the advantage.  That said I took Spanish in school  I was good at and never kept up, now I want to  and all the options are expensive

Ouch... It seems that a nerve was hit with this post! That is a good thing for it means that people care either way. I am not a native English speaker--and not a Spanish native speaker either--and I agree that anyone should learn the official language of the country they live in, but when it is not feasible keep in mind what psylocke mentionned: if you entered health care it is to help others regardless of their ability to communicate well with you. Now, with the growing non-English speaking population in this nation--especially here in California--I believe that employers are more inclined to hire staff that is proficient in Spanish for it is easier (i.e. cheaper, less time consuming) than training their current employees. Of course, bilingual applicants often have origins afiliated with the Spanish-speaking culture, which is just as important as knowing the language.

Our country was based on many different country origins and they ALL had to learn ENGLISH AND pay Taxes. The illegals are not only taking over our healthcare jobs and making it impossible for english speaking workers to get hired but they are killing the great nation of the United States of America. IF we MUST learn spanish to get a job in healthcare then they should ALL have to pay their fair share and stop sharing illegal documents, before they kill our country the way they killed their country!