The nurse is admitting a 70-year-old Hispanic female to the medical floor.Upon her arrival,the nurse notices that the woman speaks very little English and does not appear to understand what the nurse is asking.What is the most appropriate action by the nurse?

A) Contact a family member and defer the admission assessment until someone arrives
B) Use hand gesturing and facial expressions to communicate with the patient
C) See whether another staff member who speaks Spanish is available to help translate
D) Activate the hospital's translating system and obtain a translator, if available

In admitting this patient,the most appropriate action by the nurse is to activate the hospital translation system or obtain a translator.It is appropriate to contact a family member; however,the assessment cannot be deferred until the family member's arrival because one cannot predict the time of arrival.Hand gestures and facial expressions are commonly used to identify pain when a patent has a language barrier; however,there is much more information that needs to be obtained from this patient as part of the assessment process.Additionally,it is common to check with another staff member who may be able to translate; however,one cannot predict the availability or the language proficiency of the staff member.