Medical Interpreter II

JOB SUMMARY:

The Medical Interpreter II provides communication services between patients, and healthcare providers to ensure the provision of quality healthcare and patient safety. 

The post holder conducts professional medical interpretation for healthcare providers, patients, and their families in complex clinics, multidisciplinary meetings, surgical discussions, palliative care settings. S/he assesses and monitors patients' understanding of the information conveyed. The post holder advises medical personnel on cultural differences, norms, beliefs and sensitives that may impact communication and patient care.

The Medical Interpreter II provides training for Sidra clinical providers on in-house language technology usage (Cyracom /OPI). S/he advocates for patients and their families, records and monitors interpretation activities according to hospital and departmental standards. 

The post holder guides the newly joined junior medical interpreters and attends regular quality evaluation rounds. S/he assists the Lead in preparing the daily team assignments and monthly operational report when required. The post holder conducts patient rounds and attends clinical huddles. S/he may require to translate written documents.

KEY ROLE ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Guidance and Support

• Takes an active role in departmental projects and contributes to organizational initiatives, working closely with the Lead - Medical Interpreter.
• Welcomes newly joined medical interpreters, providing them with the latest onboarding information and explaining the operational workflow, clinic locations, and hospital unit details.
• Advocates for the Medical Interpretation Service by participating in patients' rounds and regular meetings with nursing staff, keeping them informed about service operations, efficient ways to access the service, and soliciting feedback.
• Assumes operational responsibilities in the absence of the Lead-Medical Interpreter, serving as a delegate to manage day-to-day operations.
• Generates reports on operational activities when the Lead-Medical Interpreter is not available.

Language Support and Interpretation Services

• Contributes towards patient experience through interaction/ assistance the interpreted conversation will impact the patient and the quality of physician-patient communications.
• Provides Sidra Medicine patients and healthcare providers with language support within complex clinical settings: multidisciplinary meetings, surgical discussions and palliative care cases.
• Assists healthcare providers in communicating with patients and/or their families who have complicated cases. 
• Facilitates medical service by interpreting language between patients/families and health care providers accurately and completely by using international best practices.
• Clarifies information that cannot be interpreted from one language into another to facilitate understanding between the health care provider and patients/families. 
• Maintains language assistance with clinical follow-up or discharge instructions. 
• Delivers dynamic language services from a diverse cultural perspective, to promote superior interpersonal communications with all stakeholders.

Professionalism and Compliance

• Maintains a professional distance and non-judgmental attitude when providing interpretation services.
• Carries out the required medical and non-medical interpretation activities for the assigned shift.
• Operates in compliance with interpreter and hospital policies and procedures, particularly those relating to patient confidentiality.
• Demonstrates and maintains high knowledge of medical terminology. 
• Maintains an organized and clean appearance in all work areas and follows Sidra’s dress code.

Training and Education

• Prepares and conducts regular medical knowledge education sessions for medical interpreters presenting complex medical concepts and procedures.
• Supports the lead with presenting the unit’s orientation for newly joined staff members at Sidra Medicine.
• Prepares and conducts regular education sessions for Sidra non-Arab clinical staff to help them understand, demonstrate, and navigate basic Arabic language, cultural differences, norms, beliefs, and sensitivities that may impact communication.
• Advocates for the patients by actively monitoring and evaluating the quality and efficiency of physician-patient encounters to ensure exceptional patient experience. The observance of any kind of misconduct and disrespect is to be reported to the Patient Experience Department. 

Cultural Awareness, Communication, and Advocacy

• Acts as a cultural awareness office advocate for staff references when required.   
• In collaboration with relevant parties, provide Sidra Medicine staff members with cultural awareness orientation based on previous encounters with patients, their families, and the healthcare providers as Sidra Medicine has a diverse population of patients and staff members.
• Sets the tone of the patient/provider encounter to manage spatial configuration and flow of communication to preserve accuracy and completeness, and to assess and address potential areas of discomfort for the patient (age, gender of interpreter, no previous experience with interpreters).
• Collaborates with patient and family educators when required to assist in the provision of clear and concise educational literature in appropriate languages.

Continuous Improvement and Adaptability

• Works well under pressure to manage stressful situations.
• Flexible to meet scheduling needs and proactive in handling unpredictable changes or tasks.
• Follows the latest trends in the field. 
• Supports in selected organizational initiatives, where medical interpretation services are requested.
• Actively contributes to maintaining high standards of quality, and patient safety and ensures patient experience is maintained.
• Collaborates with the scheduling team under the supervision of Lead-Medical Interpreter and works on service booking process optimization.

• Adheres to Sidra’s standards as they appear in the Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest policies
• Adheres to and promotes Sidra’s Values

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS:

• Patient and customer focus.
• Ability to interpret over the phone if required.
• Demonstrates a high knowledge of local citizens’ preferences and high cultural awareness.
• Continuous learning and professional growth.
• Respects and relates well to people from varied backgrounds, diverse world views, and is sensitive to group differences.
• Pleasing personality.
• Well groomed.
• High cultural awareness. Understands variety of regional accents and linguistic styles and registers.
• Personal ownership of services provided.
• Effective communication.  Interprets with highest degree of accuracy and completeness in consecutive, simultaneous and sight translation modes.
• Knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, and physiology.
• Picks up cues from encounter participants regarding level of understanding and/or need for clarification.
• Demonstrated ability to create detailed and professional quality documents within sensitive time restraints.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic or other required language.

 Sign Language ability