Staying Connected: Tips from a Video Remote Interpreter
Healthcare conversations are complex, often include sensitive information, and can be lengthy in nature. When interpreters are needed to facilitate communication, they are responsible for ensuring that everything that is communicated is understood by both parties no matter how complex, lengthy, or difficult the conversation may be. To better cope with challenging sessions, interpreters working remotely and those in person both find great benefit in having a support system available to them.
At AMN Healthcare Language Services, we believe the strength of the team is the key to our success and our interpreter support system is an important part of fostering that esprit de corps. Our Interpreters and Language Operations Managers make it a priority to help one another every day. To demonstrate the importance of our interpreter support system, Rebeca Rodriguez Campos, one of our Video Remote Interpreters on our Spanish interpreting team, recently shared with us how she and fellow team members lift one another up despite working apart. Here is her story:
"It may seem trivial but working from my home office has given the phrase 'a gesture is worth a thousand words' a deeper meaning. It is certainly true that working from home comes with a lot of perks, but we cannot deny that many of us are also energized by a sense of connection, belonging and recognition. Before I started working as a video remote interpreter, I was worried that the remote nature of the work would make it difficult to feel like part of the team. However, even though we work in different locations, several team members have extended warm gestures to me that have brightened my interpreting days.
For me, it all started with a simple “good morning”. The first few days, when I typed my morning greetings along with my schedule for the day in our team chat, I noticed a “like” notification pop up while waiting for my first session to start. This single “like” lifted, and still lifts, my spirits because it means that someone is actually paying attention to the fact that I am sitting in a desk somewhere in Costa Rica waiting to aid people’s needs. I now realize the impact these small gestures have, so I make it a habit to ‘like’ every beginning-of-the-shift message I can. It is my virtual way of saying “Hi!” to my fellow team members with a big smile on my face.
The nature of our work is demanding, particularly when sessions are lengthy, or the healthcare conversation is emotionally challenging. In an on-site environment, you receive encouragement and support from your coworkers and managers but what about when you are working remotely? A lengthy session does not always mean that you are rendering highly technical or emotionally complicated information, but it generally does. In these situations, support from a Team Lead goes a long way, and this is something AMN Healthcare Language Services consistently provides. When navigating a difficult interpreting session, I cannot emphasize enough how comforting and encouraging it is to receive a private chat from a Team Lead checking in to ensure I have the tools I need to make the session a success.
Our job as medical interpreters can be very emotionally challenging, especially when you are not sharing the same physical space as your coworkers. Indeed, some days can be frustrating and sad while others are filled with joy and good news. Being able to help people communicate their thoughts and needs is rewarding on its own but feeling visible and supported by your team members makes this experience far more enriching."
-Rebeca Rodriguez Campos
Video Remote Interpreter | Spanish
Are you interested in joining a supportive network of qualified medical interpreters and language operations managers who assist one another, lifting each other up for success each and every day? We are hiring Video Remote Interpreters, Audio Interpreters and InPerson Interpreters in a wide variety of languages!