Healthcare workers from Latin America are in extraordinary demand across the US, Canada, and the UK. But medical English is a specialized skill that general English courses don't cover. One miscommunication in a clinical setting can have serious consequences — making medical English not just a career skill, but a patient safety issue.
This guide covers the vocabulary, phrases, and communication patterns that healthcare workers actually need on the floor.
Why Medical English Is Different
Medical English has layers that everyday English doesn't:
- Technical terminology — Latin/Greek roots (many overlap with Spanish/Portuguese, which is an advantage)
- Patient-facing language — Simpler terms to explain conditions to patients
- Documentation language — Precise, standardized phrasing for charts and reports
- Team communication — SBAR format, handoffs, code protocols
You need to operate in ALL four layers, switching between them instantly.
Body Systems: Core Vocabulary
Cardiovascular System
| English (Technical) | English (Patient-Friendly) | Spanish | Portuguese | |-------------------|--------------------------|---------|------------| | Hypertension | High blood pressure | Hipertensión | Hipertensão | | Tachycardia | Fast heart rate | Taquicardia | Taquicardia | | Bradycardia | Slow heart rate | Bradicardia | Bradicardia | | Myocardial infarction | Heart attack | Infarto de miocardio | Infarto do miocárdio | | Arrhythmia | Irregular heartbeat | Arritmia | Arritmia | | Edema | Swelling | Edema | Edema |
Respiratory System
| English (Technical) | English (Patient-Friendly) | Spanish | Portuguese | |-------------------|--------------------------|---------|------------| | Dyspnea | Difficulty breathing | Disnea | Dispneia | | Pneumonia | Lung infection | Neumonía | Pneumonia | | Bronchospasm | Airway tightening | Broncoespasmo | Broncoespasmo | | Hypoxia | Low oxygen | Hipoxia | Hipóxia | | Intubation | Breathing tube placement | Intubación | Intubação | | Auscultation | Listening with stethoscope | Auscultación | Ausculta |
Gastrointestinal System
| English (Technical) | English (Patient-Friendly) | Spanish | Portuguese | |-------------------|--------------------------|---------|------------| | Nausea | Feeling sick to the stomach | Náusea | Náusea | | Emesis | Vomiting | Emesis/Vómito | Êmese/Vômito | | Dysphagia | Trouble swallowing | Disfagia | Disfagia | | Constipation | Difficulty passing stool | Estreñimiento | Constipação | | Hemorrhage | Severe bleeding | Hemorragia | Hemorragia | | NPO (nil per os) | Nothing by mouth | Nada por boca | Nada por via oral |
Patient Communication Phrases
Taking a History
English: "Can you tell me what brought you in today?" ES: "¿Puede decirme qué lo/la trajo hoy?" PT: "Pode me dizer o que o/a trouxe aqui hoje?"
English: "On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your pain?" ES: "En una escala del 1 al 10, ¿cómo calificaría su dolor?" PT: "Numa escala de 1 a 10, como você classificaria sua dor?"
English: "When did the symptoms first start?" ES: "¿Cuándo empezaron los síntomas por primera vez?" PT: "Quando os sintomas começaram pela primeira vez?"
English: "Are you currently taking any medications?" ES: "¿Está tomando algún medicamento actualmente?" PT: "Está tomando algum medicamento atualmente?"
English: "Do you have any allergies we should know about?" ES: "¿Tiene alguna alergia que debamos saber?" PT: "Tem alguma alergia que devemos saber?"
Explaining Procedures
English: "I'm going to [procedure]. You might feel [sensation]. It should take about [time]."
Example: "I'm going to draw some blood from your arm. You might feel a small pinch. It should take about 30 seconds."
ES: "Voy a sacarle un poco de sangre del brazo. Puede sentir un pequeño pinchazo. Debería tomar unos 30 segundos."
PT: "Vou tirar um pouco de sangue do seu braço. Pode sentir uma pequena picada. Deve levar cerca de 30 segundos."
Giving Instructions
English: "I need you to [action]. Can you do that for me?"
Examples:
- "I need you to take a deep breath and hold it."
- "I need you to turn on your left side."
- "I need you to keep this arm still."
Addressing Concerns
English: "I understand this can be scary. Let me explain what's happening and what we're going to do about it."
ES: "Entiendo que esto puede dar miedo. Permítame explicar qué está pasando y qué vamos a hacer al respecto."
PT: "Entendo que isso pode ser assustador. Deixe-me explicar o que está acontecendo e o que vamos fazer a respeito."
SBAR Communication (Team Handoffs)
SBAR is the gold standard for clinical communication between healthcare professionals:
S — Situation
"This is [Name], [Role] on [Unit]. I'm calling about [Patient Name] in room [X]."
B — Background
"The patient is a [age]-year-old [gender] admitted for [reason]. Relevant history includes [conditions]."
A — Assessment
"I'm concerned because [specific observations]. Vitals are [readings]. I think [clinical judgment]."
R — Recommendation
"I would recommend [action]. Would you like me to [specific request]?"
Full SBAR Example
"This is Maria, the night nurse on 4 West. I'm calling about Mr. Johnson in room 412. He's a 68-year-old male admitted yesterday for pneumonia. He's been on IV antibiotics since admission. I'm concerned because his oxygen saturation has dropped from 95% to 88% in the last hour, and his respiratory rate has increased to 28. I think he may be deteriorating. I'd recommend you come assess him and consider transferring to a higher level of care."
Medication Administration Vocabulary
| English | Spanish | Portuguese | |---------|---------|------------| | Administer | Administrar | Administrar | | Dosage | Dosis/Dosificación | Dosagem | | Route (oral, IV, IM, SC) | Vía (oral, IV, IM, SC) | Via (oral, IV, IM, SC) | | PRN (as needed) | Según necesidad | Conforme necessário | | Contraindication | Contraindicación | Contraindicação | | Adverse reaction | Reacción adversa | Reação adversa | | Titrate | Titular/Ajustar | Titular/Ajustar | | Bolus | Bolo | Bolus | | Taper | Reducción gradual | Redução gradual | | Discontinue (D/C) | Descontinuar | Descontinuar |
The 5 Rights (Always in English)
- Right patient
- Right drug
- Right dose
- Right route
- Right time
Documentation Phrases
Clear, concise charting language:
- "Patient reports..." (subjective — what they told you)
- "Patient presents with..." (objective — what you observe)
- "Vital signs within normal limits (WNL)"
- "No acute distress (NAD)"
- "Alert and oriented x4 (A&Ox4)"
- "Wound site clean, dry, and intact (CDI)"
- "Patient tolerating [diet/treatment] well"
- "Will continue to monitor and report changes"
Emergency Vocabulary
| English | Spanish | Portuguese | |---------|---------|------------| | Code Blue | Código Azul | Código Azul | | Crash cart | Carro de paro | Carrinho de emergência | | Defibrillator | Desfibrilador | Desfibrilador | | Compressions | Compresiones | Compressões | | Airway | Vía aérea | Via aérea | | Epinephrine | Epinefrina | Epinefrina | | Anaphylaxis | Anafilaxia | Anafilaxia | | Hemorrhaging | Hemorragia activa | Hemorragia ativa | | Seizure | Convulsión | Convulsão | | Unresponsive | Sin respuesta | Sem resposta |
Common Pronunciation Challenges
| Word | Wrong | Right | |------|-------|-------| | Pneumonia | "p-new-MOH-nee-ah" | "noo-MOH-nyuh" (silent P) | | Hemorrhage | "heh-MOR-ah-heh" | "HEM-uh-rij" | | Triage | "tree-AH-heh" | "tree-AHJ" | | Suture | "su-TOO-reh" | "SOO-chur" | | Catheter | "ka-TEH-ter" | "KATH-uh-ter" | | Gauge | "GOW-geh" | "GAYJ" |
Practice Clinical Communication
Reading medical vocabulary is not the same as using it under pressure. Voza offers healthcare-specific conversation scenarios — patient intake, SBAR handoffs, explaining procedures, and emergency communication — so you can build fluency in clinical English before lives depend on it.
Start practicing medical English at voza.talk — because clear communication saves lives.