Global Enhancement Courses

Student taking blood pressure at community eventMedical Spanish

Spanish language courses are offered via Academic Affairs in fulfillment of the new language elective in the ABSN program. Students in the language track take four progressive levels of Spanish. Classes are also open to graduate students. Students are enjoying an innovative approach to learning medical Spanish, which incorporates language development and nursing skills in a realistic health care environment. The classes meet in the Center for Nursing Discovery (on-campus clinical laboratory) where low and high tech simulation is used to create dialogue with virtual Spanish-speaking patient-actors and interacting with a variety of medical terms and equipment. Increasing levels of complexity are staged as students progress from beginning to advanced levels of Spanish, while integrating cultural competency skills.

In recognition of the growing number of Spanish-speaking persons locally and abroad, DUSON strives to prepare students to interact linguistically and culturally appropriate in the delivery of care to diverse Latino populations.

The classes are being taught in partnership with the El Centro Hispano-Linguistic Center. El Centro Hispano has collaborated with Duke University School of Nursing and the Latino Center for years in offering medical Spanish classes to students, faculty and health care workers throughout the community.

Current Course Offerings
N531 Medical Spanish and Cultural Competency in Health Care – Beginner Level I

The course is a conversational language course designed to develop basic language skills in medical Spanish and cultural competency with Latin American populations. Conversational Spanish, as spoken in Latin America is emphasized and basic grammar is included. Aspects of Latin American culture, especially those most pertinent to health care, are included in each lesson. Class structure and teaching methods include frequent verbal practice in a supportive and relaxed environment. Each class includes instruction and practice with medical vocabulary.

N532 Medical Spanish and Cultural Competency for Health Care – Beginner Level II

The course is a conversational language course designed to build on the basic skills in medical Spanish and cultural competency with Latin-American populations.  Conversational Spanish, as spoken in Latin America, is emphasized and basic grammar is included. Aspects of Latin American culture, especially those areas most pertinent to health care, are included in each lesson. Class structure and teaching methods include frequent verbal practice in a supportive and relaxed environment. Each class includes medical vocabulary instruction and practice with medical vocabulary.

N533 Medical Spanish and Cultural Competency for Health Care – Intermediate Level I

The course is a conversational language course designed to build on the intermediate language skills in medical Spanish and cultural competency with Latin-American populations. Conversational Spanish, as spoken in Latin America, is emphasized and grammar is included. Aspects of Latin American culture, especially those most pertinent to health care, are included in each lesson. Class structure and teaching methods include frequent verbal practice in a supportive and relaxed environment. Each class includes instruction and practice with medical vocabulary.

N534 Medical Spanish and Cultural Competency for Health Care – Intermediate Level II

The course is a conversational language course designed to develop advanced language skills in medical Spanish and cultural competency with Latin-American populations. Conversational Spanish, as spoken in Latin America, is emphasized and grammar concepts are reviewed. Aspects of Latin American culture, especially those most pertinent to health care, are included in each lesson. Class structure and teaching methods include frequent verbal practice in a supportive and relaxed environment. Each class includes instruction and practice with medical vocabulary.

N535 Medical Spanish and Cultural Competency for Health Care - Advanced Conversational

The course is a conversational language course designed to apply advanced language skills in medical Spanish and cultural competency to health care situations of increasing complexity. Conversational Spanish, as spoken in Latin America, is emphasized. Aspects of Latin American culture, especially those most pertinent to health care, are included in each lesson. Class structure and teaching methods include intensive verbal practice in a supportive and relaxed environment. Each class includes application and practice with medical vocabulary. This course heavily focuses on medical terminology, professional patient-clinician interaction and simulation scenarios.

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