What are the responsibilities and job description for the Medical Interpreter -Spanish/English - On Site - DC position at Children's National Hospital?
or chronic medical situations as needed. The Medical Interpreter will provide services in person, telephonically or via video remote to assist patients and families in their interactions throughout the hospital.
Minimum Education
Bachelor's Degree or equivalent years of experience. (Required)
Minimum Work Experience
1 year Experience as interpreter for individuals in critical situations. (Required)
Required Skills/Knowledge
Bilingual Language Skills
Fluency in English and Spanish
Highly proficient in medical terminology
Required Licenses and Certifications
Successfully pass the Interpreter Skills Assessment, or equivalent, provided by CNH.
40-hour Medical Interpreter Training Course Completion (must have proof of certificate from a reputable training institution). (Required)
Functional Accountabilities
Eliminates Language Barriers to Patient Care
- Facilitate communication among patients, families, and staff
- Interpret directly and accurately, without omissions, addition or interference with communication
- Manage assignments independently without close supervision
- Set limits appropriately; maintain professional boundaries as interpreter; maintain patient, family and staff rights to confidentiality privacy
- Maintain professional role and sensitivity during critical medical and/or psychosocial situations; respect all parties in their discussion and their individual roles
- Abide by Interpreter Code of Ethics
- Demonstrate accurate, clear, and timely verbal and written communication
- Provide sight translation of patient of patient care related documents
- Provide document translation of limited list of patient related materials
Promote Appropriate Utilization of Interpretation Services by Staff
- Educate staff in use of interpreter and available interpretation services
- Communicate with staff about staff needs and patient/family needs
- Work closely, interdepartmentally, provide recommendations by communicating information as requested and directed by medical provider/critical staff
- Partner with program staff to share best practices and to ensure cultural and linguistic requirements are met
- Advocate for patients/families with staff to facilitate continuity of care
- Provide sound recommendations to departmental leadership to ensure adequate services to non-English speaking patients and families
Contributes to a Well-Organize Program
- Help to ensure interpretation assignments are coordinated accurately, effectively and efficiently
- Maintain schedules and required logs/tracking system in order to track project progress and productivity
- Keeping and organizing interpretation requests and reports
- Accurately document interpretation assignments in all systems and databases used and required by the program
- Facilitate the distribution, coordination, and assignment of day-today activities among fellow division staff and under the guidance of the division leadership
- The individual in this role may assume additional job duties beyond those outlined in this job description
Organizational Accountabilities
Organizational Accountabilities (Staff)
Organizational Commitment/Identification
- Anticipate and responds to customer needs; follows up until needs are met
Teamwork/Communication
- Demonstrate collaborative and respectful behavior
- Partner with all team members to achieve goals
- Receptive to others’ ideas and opinions
Performance Improvement/Problem-solving
- Contribute to a positive work environment
- Demonstrate flexibility and willingness to change
- Identify opportunities to improve clinical and administrative processes
- Make appropriate decisions, using sound judgment
Cost Management/Financial Responsibility
- Use resources efficiently
- Search for less costly ways of doing things
Safety
- Speak up when team members appear to exhibit unsafe behavior or performance
- Continuously validate and verify information needed for decision making or documentation
- Stop in the face of uncertainty and takes time to resolve the situation
- Demonstrate accurate, clear and timely verbal and written communication
- Actively promote safety for patients, families, visitors and co-workers
- Attend carefully to important details - practicing Stop, Think, Act and Review in order to self-check behavior and performance
