Spanish Language Patient Care Videos Now Available to All on Open.Michigan

The simulations with conversational and medical Spanish prepare current and future nurses for common clinical situations.

Clear communication is an essentially aspect of providing high-quality patient care, but language barriers can create difficulties for both the provider and patient. To address this critical component of culturally competent care, the University of Michigan School of Nursing (UMSN) created a series of videos featuring Spanish-speaking patients in a variety of clinical settings. 

“When we created the videos we wanted to make sure we were able to meet a variety of needs, including language and cultural learning, nursing education, and critical thinking,” Clinical Assistant Professor Michele Aebersold, PhD, RN.

The videos were filmed with Spanish-speaking actors and UMSN students. They are now available for free on Open.Michigan, an initiative that maximizes resources and research through open sharing.  The eight videos in the series address topics such as emergency scenarios, medication management, and end-of-life care. Videos include versions with English subtitles.

“By making the videos available to everyone we can ensure that the time invested in producing these will reach a broad audience and benefit nursing students and nurses everywhere,” says Dr. Aebersold. “Ultimately that benefits our patients and families, which is the most important part.”

The videos are funded by a Department of Education Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language (UISFL) grant.  

Learn more about the videos and other ways UMSN is increasing the language skills of students.