Registered nurse Luis Medina walked into his shift in December and was told a positive Covid-19 patient was resisting wearing his oxygen mask. Despite repeated attempts by a fellow nurse, they said, it was hard to communicate with the patient, because he spoke Spanish.
Medina, 25, who works at a community hospital near La Mirada, California, went to see the patient and explained in his native language the importance of wearing the mask and the consequences of not doing so.
"Just having that language barrier and being able to address that, the patient ended up getting better, because he kept the oxygen mask on," said Medina, a graduate of and part-time professor at Mount Saint Mary's University in Los Angeles.
Yet the past year has been particularly difficult, as he had been a nurse for less than a year when the coronavirus pandemic hit. Medina was used to seeing patients leave the hospital shortly after they arrived. With Covid-19, he wasn't so sure the majority of his mostly Latino patients would be leaving that quickly.
The pandemic has disproportionately hit Latinos throughout the country, who are already at a disadvantage as they are likely to work in front-line jobs and have the highest uninsured rates. Liz Guevara, 31, a nurse care manager at La Clinica del Pueblo in Washington, D.C., saw a majority of Latino patients during the pandemic, and she found knowing Spanish and being Latina to be a big help; the Washington area has a large Central American population.
"We need to be culturally competent. Just because a provider may speak Spanish doesn't mean the patient will be comfortable to talk about their pain," she said. "Patients are more reluctant to speak to a provider if they can't fully express themselves."
Beyond language, it's about understanding different customs and cultures — and some of the difficulties many families go through. Guevara, who came to the U.S. at age 6, said her parents struggled to get access to health care, which motivated her to study health care disparities, including the lack of Latino providers. The realization led her to a career in public health nursing. As someone who lacked a mentor while entering the field, she is passionate about the impact Latinos can make in the profession, whether it's through mentorship or programs.