Yelling at my patients!!!! HELP!

Nurses General Nursing

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I find myself talking, well sometimes YELLING at my patients when communicating with them!!! Does anyone else find themselves doing this? One time a patient said "honey, why are you talking so loud" and another "can you lower your voice"...hahaha! I think it comes from assuming that a patient with ANY type of deficit can not HEAR. Also, I think it's from trying to talk over alarms, trach collar humidification bubbling away, TVs, etc. However, I find myself talking LOUDLY to everyone now!!! My husband says "Geez, I'm right here!!" when I am talking to him...LOL. Is anyone else fighting this battle fo assuming that EVERYONE is DEAF???? ANY TIPS OR IDEAS WILL BE APPRECIATED!!!

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

Are you having any hearing issues? It's not uncommon for someone with hearing difficulties to misinterpret volume and use a very loud voice. Maybe check with your PCP.

By hearing difficulties, it could be anything from an early ear infection, cerumen build up, allergies, to more complicated issues.

I know my ability to hear clearly decreases when ragweed pollen counts go up (highly allergic) before my first sneeze or drippy nose. I also tend to have a louder voice growing up in Abigail household.

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Specializes in ICU.

Haha, I, and most of the nurses I work with nearly shout at all our patients regardless of hearing ability, simply because SO MANY patients are HOH. We forget that not everyone is. =P

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I've been told my voice is too soft.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Ambient room noise affects our hearing as the shift goes on. Have you noticed it yet that when you hop in the car to go home that you turn up the radio volume .... but when you first hop in before you go to work you have to turn down the volume quick as it blasts you out of your seat?!?!

It's ambient room noise from all the people and equip making noise --- read this somewhere as a phenomenon affecting healthcare workers and others in noisy work environments (that's why OSHA requires audiometric testing for some jobs. Mommies that have a household full of little ones tend to talk LOUD too.

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