Nursing career but one-sided hearing loss...

[kimj]

Hello. I'm a 29-year-old work-at-home (medical transcription x 7 years) of two little ones. I have 2 years of college, but I'm on the waiting list to get into nursing. My question is that I had a tumor removed from my right ear when I was 12, which resulted in virtual complete hearing loss in that ear as everything was removed as the tumor encased it all. I have minimal hearing in that ear, presumably somehow through the mastoid bone. My other ear is fine.

I've always been interested in medicine, orginally wanted to be a doctor until family priorities changed my thinking on that one (no thanks to 10 years or so in school!), so now I would like to go into nursing. I always have had good grades (As and Bs) so I'm not concerned at all with the academic aspect, but I am worried that my hearing loss in the one ear might make nursing not feasible? I hate to hear that it would, but do obviously need to know... I've learned of course how to compensate easily for the loss, i.e. making sure I stand on the right of a person, etc., but have been concerned about how it may affect hearing breath sounds or heart sounds, blood pressure, etc. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thanks! :)

[cna on her way]

I wish that I could answer that for you but honestly I'd say try out a few things that you are worried about and see how you do. For instance, try to take someone's BP and see if you can hear it, there is always the slight chance you won't but you always look at the gauge while you are listening so you could learn to go a little more on vision. As for breathe sounds and ect.. I think that if your hearing is strong in the right ear you should be okay. Like I said, try it out and see if you notice any real problems doing these things.