Job Description

Medical Interpreter

Children's is one of the nation's leading children's hospitals. No matter the role, every member of our team is an essential part of our mission to make kids better today and healthier tomorrow. We're committed to putting you first, and that commitment is at the heart of our company culture: People first. Children always. Find your next career opportunity and make a difference doing what you love at Children's.

Job Description

To facilitate communication between Limited English Proficiency speakers, deaf, or hard of hearing patients and families, and medical center staff by providing accurate, comprehensive, and professional medical interpreting services in-person or by phone or video remote. To proactively support the efforts that ensures delivery of safe patient care and services and to promote a safe environment at Children's.

Experience

• Minimum of 2 years of experience as an Interpreter in a healthcare or health related setting.
• Pediatric experience preferred
• Experience interpreting for a multi-disciplinary provider team
• Experience with written translation preferred

Preferred Qualifications

• Must pass the medical interpreters skills assessment administered by a third party such as ALTA or another Children's approved medical interpreting certifying body

Education

• High school diploma or equivalent required
• Associate degree preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience

Certification Summary

• Training or Certificate in Interpretation/Translation or a related field from an accredited institution or program preferred within 30 days of hire. (Minimum 40 hours preferred, i.e., Bridging the Gap, GA Perimeter College, etc.)
• For Sign Language Interpreters Only: Certified member of The Registry for Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. (RID) via National Interpreter Certification (NIC) or credentialed by the National Association for the Deaf (NAD) any other RID recognized certification, preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Understands and verbalizes medical terminology and disease processes in English and target language
• Demonstrates proficiency in both English and target language required
• Understands the socio-political and linguistic disadvantages of patient populations that impact communication and their understanding of medical care
• Knowledge of cultural advocacy to address dialectal difference, cultural beliefs and practices, and social norms related to healthcare decisions, within the boundaries of the medical interpreter

Job Responsibilities

• Facilitates communication between patient/family and provider by rendering accurate and complete interpretation of the message.
• Adheres to generally accepted interpreter ethics principles such as NCIHC's National Code of Ethics for Interpreters in Health Care, IMIA's Code of Ethics, and RID's Code of Professional Conduct.
• Provides limited but accurate translation services, effectively writing in English and target language for discharge instructions and other ad hoc patient-specific information, as needed.
• Supports performance improvement goals by successfully recording patient/family interpreted encounters on a consistent basis.
• Interprets information at the patient/family's level of understanding, recognizing non-verbal communication and cultural patterns, recognizing, and using appropriate interventions regarding health literacy.
• Effectively transitions from 1st person interpreting to 3rd person interpreting when needed to provide a social and developmentally appropriate interpretation.
• Recognizes the complexity of the clinical encounter and language barrier by identifying cues regarding level of understanding and/or need for clarification.
• Able to employ clarification techniques to improve understanding of meaning in relation to cultural, social, and linguistic differences of the message.
• Sets tone of the encounter to manage spatial configuration and flow of communication to preserve accuracy and completeness, and to assess and address potential areas of discomfort for patient (age, gender of interpreter, no previous experience with interpreters).
• Understands and adapts interpretation seamlessly for meaning, context, situational, and developmental levels of understanding by all parties in the interpreted encounter.
• Sensitive to non-verbal communication cues that are imperative to effective transmission of the message and transmits them to the providers in the interpreted encounter.
• Uses culturally appropriate behavior and be able to choose the appropriate time to clarify or interject by respecting the goals of the encounter while respecting own personal values, beliefs, and cultural characteristics.
• Completes annual clinical competencies as assigned.
• Participates in continuous learning to enhance professional growth.

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic covered by applicable law.

Primary Location Address

2220 North Druid Hills Road

Job Family

Family Support

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