Complicated Encounters & Interpreters Fatigue: Research on the Use of a Tool to Measure Mental Fatigue
Presenter: Andrea Henry
Cost: $15 CHIA Members / $25 Non-Members
NOTE: Once you pay, you will automatically receive an email with an additional step to follow to complete your registration. Be sure to check your spam/junk/clutter folder if you do not find it in your inbox.
CEUs:
Description:
Healthcare interpreters' work can be taxing. However, we are often uncertain as to what precisely contributes to our mental fatigue, outside of the obvious issue of long encounters and long workdays. This presentation provides information on the various factors at play in an encounter that can affect both concentration and performance and thus contribute to mental fatigue. It also sheds light on precedents in other industries that make the case for use of a measurement tool to address such factors and mental fatigue in a more sophisticated way. Ultimately, the presenter will share information about research carried out at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta on use of a tool that measures the relationship between fatigue and encounter complexity.
Learning Objectives
1. To learn common factors which contribute to the interpreter’s mental fatigue.
2. To learn about precedents in other fields for measuring workload & productivity.
3. To learn about research that addresses fatigue and the need to better measure it for the purposes of adequate staffing/interpreter coverage.
Presenter Bio
Andrea Henry has been active in the healthcare interpreting field for 22 years. She began her career in 1994 as a freelancer for Pacific Interpreters and later as a fulltime remote interpreter at their company headquarters in Oregon. After relocating to Atlanta, Andrea spent six years in development of language services departments in two hospital systems. Andrea earned her B.A. from the University of Oregon in Spanish and International Studies with a minor in Ethnic Studies. She has received over 120 hours of interpretation education and has attended 30+ conferences regionally, nationally, and internationally. The most satisfying part of Andrea’s career has been working as a staff interpreter at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta while carrying out this research.
