Directed and reviewed by a family medicine physician & certified medical interpreter
Discharge is where a lot of care succeeds or fails. The patient is tired, relieved and often overloaded, and the instructions are long. When the patient has limited English proficiency, the risk grows.
Discharge teaching for a patient with limited English proficiency should go through a qualified medical interpreter. That means a trained interpreter by phone, video or in person, not a family member, not a child, and not your own conversational Spanish. The phrases below are for greetings, basic comfort, process words and checking in. They are not a substitute for interpreted teaching about medications, wound care, warning signs or follow-up. Follow your facility's policy for discharge teaching and language access.
Where phrases help and where they stop
Use your own Spanish for:
- greeting the patient and building rapport
- explaining that an interpreter is joining
- simple logistics, such as waiting, signing or getting dressed
- showing kindness while the interpreter connects
Hand off to the interpreter for:
- every medication instruction (name, dose, timing, purpose)
- wound, device or equipment care
- diet, activity and warning signs
- follow-up appointments and who to call
- any question the patient asks that goes beyond a short logistics answer
Greetings and comfort phrases
The Spanish is neutral Latin American and uses the formal "usted."
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Today you are going home. | Hoy se va a su casa. |
| I am your nurse. I will go over your discharge papers with you. | Soy su enfermera/enfermero. Voy a repasar con usted los papeles del alta. |
| An interpreter will help us. | Un intérprete nos va a ayudar. |
| Please take your time. | Tómese su tiempo, no hay prisa. |
| Please ask me any question. | Por favor, hágame cualquier pregunta. |
| Do you want someone with you? | ¿Quiere que alguien lo/la acompañe? |
| Do you have a way to get home? | ¿Tiene cómo llegar a su casa? |
Speak directly to the patient, not to the interpreter, and look at the patient while the interpreter speaks.
Teach-back: how it works
Teach-back means asking patients to explain, in their own words, what they need to know or do. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) describes it this way in its health literacy tools and gives these key points:
- Frame it as checking your explanation, not testing the patient.
- Avoid yes/no questions such as "Do you understand?"
- Check in small segments, not only at the end.
- If the patient gets it wrong, explain it another way and ask again.
- Watch for parroting. Repeating your exact words may not mean understanding.
- Use "show me" for tasks, such as demonstrating a device.
Teach-back works the same way with an interpreter. You ask the question in English, the interpreter interprets, the patient answers, and the interpreter renders the answer back to you.
Teach-back phrases in Spanish
You can open a teach-back question in Spanish while the interpreter is connecting, and the interpreter can take it from there.
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| I want to be sure I explained this clearly. | Quiero asegurarme de haberme explicado bien. |
| Can you tell me in your own words what you will do at home? | ¿Puede decirme con sus propias palabras qué va a hacer en su casa? |
| What will you do if you feel worse? | ¿Qué va a hacer si se siente peor? |
| Who will you call if you have questions? | ¿A quién va a llamar si tiene preguntas? |
| Can you show me how you will do this? | ¿Puede mostrarme cómo lo va a hacer? |
| Let me explain that in a different way. | Permítame explicarlo de otra manera. |
| What questions do you have? | ¿Qué preguntas tiene? |
Notice that these are open questions. A patient who says "sí" to "¿Entiende?" may be being polite, not confirming understanding.
A simple discharge flow
- Connect the interpreter first. Do not wait until the end.
- Greet the patient directly. Use the phrases above.
- Brief the interpreter. Share the topics and any specialized terms before you start.
- Teach in short segments. Pause for interpretation after each chunk.
- Teach back after each segment. Use open questions.
- Use "show me" for devices and tasks.
- Document that an interpreter was used, following your facility's process.
- Ask about written materials. Follow your facility's process for translated or interpreted written instructions, and ask about it rather than handing over English-only papers.
Keep the phrases close
The bedside badge card set includes a medications card, medical history, triage and vital signs in Spanish with English underneath, designed by a family medicine physician & certified medical interpreter. The Medical Spanish Kit adds a pocket guide and flashcards. These tools support greetings and basic communication. They do not replace a qualified interpreter.
Related guides
- Where the encounter begins: ER triage in Spanish
- When a bilingual clinician should not interpret: Can a bilingual nurse interpret?
- Medication wording to watch: Medication instructions in Spanish: false friends
More bedside phrases are in the medical Spanish collection, and you can try the free 3-card badge sample before you buy. For pain questions at discharge, see pain assessment in Spanish.
These phrases support basic communication and do not replace a qualified medical interpreter in clinical care. This article is general education, not medical advice, a legal or compliance opinion, or a clinical protocol.