Grant – First, Do No Harm: The Case for Specialization in Healthcare Interpreting – 0.15 PS CEUs

This course is only for those approved through the EIP Grant. Only those who have been approved for this course will be eligible to receive CEUs. 

CEUs: 0.15 PS

Presenter: Dr. Laurie Swabey

Presented in: Spoken English with ASL Interpretation

Format: Instructional Video

This is an Instructional Video by GURIEC, a member of the NCIEC. Please scroll down to start the activity.

Dr. Laurie Swabey makes the case for specialized education and credentialing for all ASL-English interpreters who work in healthcare settings. Deaf people identify healthcare as one of the most important settings in which qualified interpreters are needed, as well as the setting in which it is most difficult to obtain a qualified interpreter. Studies of healthcare interpreting are shedding light on the complexities of working in this setting.

Dr. Swabey first describes linguistic challenges in healthcare interpreting, and reports on the discourse features and linguistic strategies that Deaf physicians and interpreters use to mitigate these challenges.  Next, she offers a wider perspective by presenting data from a study on the importance and frequency of the tasks inherent in healthcare interpreting.  Finally, she presents data from a study on the work of designated interpreters in healthcare. Taken together, this evidence
illustrates the complexity of healthcare interpreting, which must be realized in the
education, credentialing and hiring of interpreters in healthcare.

Educational Objectives:

1. Participants will evaluate their own work (or future work) in healthcare interpreting based on the content presented.
2. Participants will review the Healthcare Interpreting Lattice and consider how they could use it for their own development, or with students, advisees or mentees.
3. Participants will stop taking healthcare interpreting jobs if they do not have adequate knowledge and skills, as represented by the Lattice and in the literature.
4. Participants will think about the “big picture” of healthcare interpreting based on the content presented and consider systematic changes that they might advocate for in the profession.

CEUs on the GO is an Approved RID CMP Sponsor for continuing education activities. This PS program is offered for 0.15 CEUs at the “Little/None” Content Knowledge Level.