English in Medicine: The Case of English for the Nursing Profession

This study examined the use of English in nursing education, training, and practice in Jordan. Participants were 152 nurses working in different hospitals, all of whom were native Arabic speakers. The nurses completed a six-part questionnaire that examined their age, sex, place of work, qualifications, years of experience, attitudes toward English, motivations to learn English, evaluation of English language instruction at school, perceptions of their own English abilities, and reactions to the use of English on and off the job. Results indicated that respondents considered English necessary for professional success. Nurses believed that the three main reasons to learn English were better job opportunities, further training, and updating their medical knowledge. They felt that English language instruction at school was very useful to them in their profession. They considered themselves better in reading than writing, listening comprehension, and speaking. Most of the nurses claimed they needed English on the job for understanding professional lectures and discussing medical cases with colleagues. Respondents mainly used English off the job to communicate with foreigners and follow television and radio programs. These nurses tended to have exaggerated beliefs about their abilities in English. The survey is appended. (SM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. rn