By Wendy Bravo
I felt that my services as a Spanish translator were extremely helpful today, more than they ever have been previously. Dr. X mentioned how he couldn’t really find the logic in not having interpreters over the weekend, when the hospital can get real busy, and many Spanish and Vietnamese-speaking patients come in. I felt almost as if I were the doctor at times, since the patients look to me when I answer their questions or clarify what the doctor had just told them. I felt that through my services as an interpreter I could help with the number of cases coming in. Dr. X was very grateful and it made me feel good that I was able to really be of service. About half-way through my shift, someone called my name through the intercom! I know it is probably really cheesy, but I felt important because I knew I wasn’t just following a doctor around, feeling like an invisible person. I was an important contributor to the ER.
