Spreading Safety, Not Germs: How to Teach Infection Control to Medical Interpreters 

According to the CDC, hospital-acquired infections (also called “HAI” or “nosocomial infections”) accounted for 75,000 patient deaths in the U.S. in 2011. Typically, healthcare staff learn about safety guidelines and practices during clinical training and hospital orientations. As a highly mobile part of the healthcare team, it is critical for medical interpreters to understand how to prevent the spread of infection in order to keep patients, themselves and their families safe. From a business perspective, keeping interpreters healthy will improve work efficiency, interpretation quality, job satisfaction and staff/contractor retention. 

This training covers concepts and practical techniques, including

• Proper hand washing

• Use of protective equipment

• Appropriate behavior

It also touches on other safety procedures and:

• Review federal regulatory guidelines for clinical safety. 

• Learn basic concepts about infection and transmission. 

• Learn techniques for training interpreters about infection control practices and personal safety. 

• Identify resources to be used for medical interpreter training, whether in person or distance learning. 

About the presenter:

Michelle A. Scott, RN, MA is a bilingual Registered Nurse and Medical Sociologist who founded Voices For Health, Inc. in 1997. With experience as a clinic supervisor and medical interpreter, she advocates for raising the standards of language accommodation in healthcare through conference lectures, professional leadership and development of training videos for VoicesACADEMY.com.