Advice...

[jen123321]

Hello All...Was wondering if there are any CRNA's out there with hearing loss or have difficulty hearing in the OR with masks on. I'm an ICU nurse now on the 6 month countdown before anesthesia clinical starts. I have some mild hearing loss and I do wear hearing aids which seem to help alot. I have trouble in the higher pitches and most of my problems stem from high pitched beeps or tones and also F's and S's ie: fifty vs. sixty. When I do bedside procedures in the ICU sometimes I have no problem hearing the docs and other nurses when we're all wearing masks, but other times it sounds like people are mumbling and I can't make out every word they're saying. I'm soooo nervous and stressed out about this, I'm probably totally overreacting but wanted to get some input......

[skipaway]

The OR can be incredibly noisy: Loud talking, music, and your monitors all contribute to the noise level. This may make it difficult but not an overwhelming problem. Another issue is surgeons tend to mumble instructions b/c they're concentrating on their work too. With your hearing problem, you'll have to be extra vigilant and try to control the noise levels in your room. Do you tend to read lips to help out your comprehension? That may be the problem with a masked co-worker. My suggestion is to shadow a CRNA or plan to have a day in the OR so you can better assess this potential problem. Good luck.

[reded]

Don't worry about it, I'll bet it will a non issue once you learn to accommodate for it. Work hard, don't be cocky, take in as much as you can and my bet is you'll do just fine. RedEd

[loveanesthesia]

I worked with a SRNA who had hearing loss, and wore aids. She had to concentrate more on routinely scanning the monitors, and couldn't chat in the OR as most of us do. She had to compensate by increasing her attention toward the monitors, and the surgeon during key times in the operation. Also we talked about how to adapt as a CRNA, one thing that helps is if the OR staff is aware that she needed to know they were talking to her, otherwise she might miss something. She's 2+ years out, and I talked with someone who works with her about a year ago and she is doing well.