It's a daily challenge for healthcare professionals: communicating with patients about their condition without the overuse of medical terms that can confuse them rather than enlighten. But when a patient doesn't even speak English, it adds another language barrier that can impede quality care. For new mothers, that language barrier can make the difference between a positive birth experience and a frustrating one. That's why Freda Centor, RN, MS, clinical nurse specialist in the UAB Women's and Infant's Services proposed a course for ob/gyn nurses that would help them talk to Hispanic mothers and provide them with the information they needed to care for their babies. "I have not heard of anyone else doing a program like this," she says. When Centor arrived at UAB about five years ago, she wrote a discharge class for the postpartum unit that the nurses taught to new mothers before they left for home with their babies. "Patients really seemed to like it," she says, "but a whole group was falling out because they didn't speak English. Those mothers were primarily Hispanic and spoke Spanish." She wanted to translate her postpartum class into Spanish, but she also wanted nurses to be able to communicate better with their patients, so she set out to find funding for a Spanish class for healthcare professionals. It was more difficult than she expected, but finally she discovered that the March of Dimes would provide funds. "They have been fabulous to work with," she says. Now in its third year, the eight week program is growing quickly. Lactation Consultant Cheryl Smith, RN, says she uses Spanish every day. "Most Hispanics breastfeed, so it has helped me. I don't always need an interpreter. I can get started, and then when the interpreter comes in I can go back over everything and make sure they understood." Some days, she may have as many as 10 Spanish-speaking patients. And while she is far from fluent, she is sometimes called upon by other nurses to help communicate with Hispanic patients. In addition to the course, a Spanish Phrase of the Week program reinforces the Spanish classes. Centor maintains a list of 30 phrases identified by nurses as being most helpful, such as "We're going to start an IV," "I'm your nurse. My name is —," and "Would you like to hold your baby?" Each week banners are hung around the department with the English phrase, along with its Spanish translation. Nurses can even call a telephone number to hear the correct pronunciation. And now Hispanic patients have a postpartum class of their own to attend before they are discharged from the hospital. While many English-speaking mothers don't take advantage of their free class, the Spanish-speaking moms do. "They all come," says Centor. "It's been fun," says Centor. "It's been exciting; we've all learned together. And I think that ultimately the goal of our Spanish moms knowing how to take care of themselves and their babies when they get home is being realized."