English/Spanish-Heart Attack/Stroke Symptoms: When to go to the Emergency Room/Dial 9-1-1
Author: Kimberly West, RN
Faculty Supervisor: Maryanne Sandberg, Ed.D., RN
Abstract:
The community partner I worked with was Glynn Immediate Care Center, a convenient local immediate care that services a high number of Latino patients. I interviewed Teresa Howard, FNP. We discussed the fact that the immediate center has Latino patients who are experiencing the symptoms of a heart attack/stroke and who must be sent by ambulance to the emergency room, with precious and lifesaving time spent in the process. It was thought the problem may be due to poor understanding of English. It was my goal to increase understanding by handing out an English/Spanish translation of the symptoms of heart attack/stroke with the need to go to the emergency room/dial 9-1-1. Handing out the translation in a printed format while giving a verbal teaching presentation in the process was part of this goal. There is an increased risk of injury/death among this population due to knowledge deficit of the symptoms of a heart attack/stroke because they sometimes go to an immediate care instead of directly to the emergency room or calling 9-1-1. The short term outcome of my project was to distribute more literature into the Latino community that can be used as teaching and reference material regarding the symptoms of heart attack/stroke and what to do. The long term outcome of my project was to lessen the number of Latinos who seek help at immediate care facilities when having symptoms of heart attack/stroke, causing redirection to the emergency room and precious time wasted. Instead it is hoped that with the symptoms of heart attack/stroke, the patient will proceed immediately to the emergency room/call 9-1-1.
