MediEnglish B2 - Inglés para enfermeros
Learn how to introduce yourself, identify roles, and use essential hospital phrases.
Módulo 8: Cultural competence
In this module, students learn how to interact with patients from different cultures, respect diversity in healthcare, and adapt communication styles. Grammar focus: relative clauses (who / which / that / where).
- En este módulo, los estudiantes aprenden a interactuar con pacientes de diferentes culturas, respetar la diversidad en el cuidado de la salud y adaptar los estilos de comunicación. Gramática: oraciones de relativo (who / which / that / where).
Learning Materials
Learn vocabulary, phrases, and grammar
Medical Vocabulary
Learn essential medical terms and their usage.
Clinical Phrases
Common expressions used in healthcare settings
The patient who speaks French needs translation.
El paciente que habla francés necesita traducción.
We must respect the beliefs that influence treatment.
Debemos respetar las creencias que influyen en el tratamiento.
This is a custom which is important in their culture.
Esta es una costumbre que es importante en su cultura.
The clinic where she was treated offers interpretation services.
La clínica donde fue atendida ofrece servicios de interpretación.
The nurse who attended the patient was very respectful.
La enfermera que atendió al paciente fue muy respetuosa.
Misunderstandings that happen often are related to language.
Los malentendidos que ocurren a menudo están relacionados con el idioma.
The family who accompanied the patient asked many questions.
La familia que acompañó al paciente hizo muchas preguntas.
The hospital where I work values diversity.
El hospital donde trabajo valora la diversidad.
Traditions that affect healthcare must be considered.
Las tradiciones que afectan la salud deben ser consideradas.
Patients who feel respected trust their doctors more.
Los pacientes que se sienten respetados confían más en sus doctores.
Relative Clauses (who / which / that / where)
What is and what is the use:
Que es y como se usa
What are Relative Clauses?
A relative clause is a part of a sentence that gives extra information about a noun (a person, thing, place, or idea).
In English for healthcare, relative clauses are essential because they help nurses and doctors describe patients, equipment, procedures, and hospital environments with more precision.
They usually start with a relative pronoun:
who → refers to people
which → refers to things
that → refers to people or things (less formal)
where → refers to places
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Structure
Relative clauses often follow this structure:
Noun (person/thing/place) + relative pronoun + clause
Examples (healthcare context):
The nurse who⁶/ treated me yesterday was very professional.
The device which monitors heart rate is very accurate.
The hospital that provides free care is downtown.
The ward where foreign patients stay has multilingual staff.
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Types of Relative Clauses
- Defining Relative Clauses
They give essential information. Without them, the sentence would be incomplete or unclear.
The patient who speaks only Spanish needs an interpreter.
The scanner that we bought last month is already in use.
👉 If you remove the clause, the meaning changes.
- Non-Defining Relative Clauses
They give extra, non-essential information. They are separated by commas.
My supervisor, who has 20 years of experience, taught me this protocol.
The new MRI machine, which was donated by the university, is very advanced.
👉 If you remove the clause, the sentence is still clear.
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Usage in Healthcare English
- Describing people (who / that)
The doctor who examined the patient recommended surgery.
The nurse that works in the ICU speaks French.
- Describing things (which / that)
The medication that reduces pain must be administered every six hours.
The software which stores patient data was updated last week.
- Describing places (where)
The room where patients wait has new equipment.
This is the hospital where I completed my internship.
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Correct vs. Incorrect Examples
✅ Correct:
The nurse who helped me was very kind.
The test which shows blood results is very accurate.
The hospital where I trained is very prestigious.
❌ Incorrect:
The nurse which helped me was very kind. → (❌ “which” for people → use who)
The machine who checks blood pressure is broken. → (❌ “who” for things → use which/that)
The clinic when I worked was small. → (❌ “when” → use where)
—
Common Mistakes
- Using the wrong pronoun:
❌ The patient which is in room 5…
✅ The patient who is in room 5…
- Omitting commas in non-defining clauses:
❌ My supervisor who is very experienced taught me this.
✅ My supervisor, who is very experienced, taught me this.
- Overusing “that” instead of more precise pronouns:
❌ The hospital that I work in…
✅ The hospital where I work…
—Why Relative Clauses Matter in Nursing English
Precision: They allow healthcare professionals to identify exactly the person, object, or place they mean.
Professional communication: Used in medical reports, patient notes, and interviews.
Cultural competence: Essential when describing patients’ backgrounds, beliefs, or needs.
Examples:
The patient who belongs to a different culture may have special dietary needs.
The hospital where I work treats international patients.
The interpreter who speaks Arabic will join the consultation.
Dialogue:
- Receptionist: Good morning, Ms. Silva. We will assign you to a nurse who specializes in cross-cultural communication.
Patient: Thank you. I feel more comfortable speaking in Portuguese.
Receptionist: The interpreter who is certified in medical terminology will join us shortly.
Patient: That’s very helpful.
Receptionist: Please go to the waiting room where multilingual services are provided.
Translate:
Recepcionista: Buenos días, Sra. Silva. Le asignaremos una enfermera que se especializa en comunicación intercultural.
Paciente: Gracias. Me siento más cómoda hablando en portugués.
Recepcionista: El intérprete que está certificado en terminología médica se unirá en breve.
Paciente: Eso es muy útil.
Recepcionista: Por favor, diríjase a la sala de espera donde se ofrecen servicios multilingües.
Keywords: cross-cultural, interpreter, certified, multilingual services.
Dialogue:
Doctor: The patient who was admitted yesterday follows dietary restrictions based on her religion.
Nurse: I will check the hospital menu which includes vegetarian and halal options.
Doctor: Excellent. We must also respect the rituals that her family considers essential for recovery.
Nurse: Yes, and we should document them in the patient’s chart which is shared with the care team.
Translate:
- Doctor: La paciente que fue admitida ayer sigue restricciones dietéticas basadas en su religión.
Enfermera: Revisaré el menú del hospital que incluye opciones vegetarianas y halal.
Doctor: Excelente. También debemos respetar los rituales que su familia considera esenciales para la recuperación.
Enfermera: Sí, y deberíamos documentarlos en la historia clínica que se comparte con el equipo de atención.
Keywords: dietary restrictions, halal, rituals, chart, care team.
Dialogue:
Supervisor: Our hospital, which serves a highly diverse community, must adapt its protocols.
Nurse: We have new guidelines that emphasize respect for cultural beliefs.
Supervisor: Correct. The interpreter team, who have specialized training in healthcare ethics, are essential in this process.
Nurse: That’s why patients who come from different cultural backgrounds feel safe and respected here.
Translate:
Supervisora: Nuestro hospital, que atiende a una comunidad muy diversa, debe adaptar sus protocolos.
Enfermera: Tenemos nuevas pautas que enfatizan el respeto por las creencias culturales.
Supervisora: Correcto. El equipo de intérpretes, que tiene formación especializada en ética sanitaria, es esencial en este proceso.
Enfermera: Por eso los pacientes que vienen de diferentes contextos culturales se sienten seguros y respetados aquí.
Keywords: diversity, protocols, ethics, interpreter team, cultural background.
Dialogue:
Patient: I misunderstood the dosage instructions that the doctor explained yesterday.
Nurse: Don’t worry. I will provide you with a leaflet which contains a clear translation.
Patient: That will help me a lot.
Nurse: We also have an app that allows patients to check instructions in their own language.
Patient: That’s excellent service.
Translate:
Paciente: Malinterpreté las instrucciones de dosificación que el doctor explicó ayer.
Enfermera: No se preocupe. Le daré un folleto que contiene una traducción clara.
Paciente: Eso me ayudará mucho.
Enfermera: También tenemos una aplicación que permite a los pacientes revisar instrucciones en su propio idioma.
Paciente: Ese es un servicio excelente.
Keywords: dosage, leaflet, translation, app, instructions.
Learning