any advice

zacarias, ASN, RN · Jul 15, 2005

Yes you can do it.

I can only hear out of my right ear and it hasn't caused real problems either in nursing school or now working. I don't know the extent of your hearing loss but what I did to make it better for myself was sit near the front of the class, on the left to facilitate hearing the instructors.

There are amplified stethoscopes that many nurses and doctors use that are great for anybody but especially HOH folks.

If you think your quality of life would improve with hearing aids, I suggest considering that. Please be assured though that nursing is still a great opportunity for you if that's what you truly desire.

MissJoRN, RN · Jul 15, 2005

Hi, I"m hard of hearing, i don't wear hearing aids although I probably should. I pretty much make it though life without them. But, I'm scared that when I become a nurse I wont be able to hear what's being said to me. Are there any nurses out there with hearing problems? If so what's your take on this subject?

I don't have hearing problems myself but if you can function with or without hearing aids and hear what is said to you in daily life, why not as a nurse? I do find myself perking up though for certain things...nuances in a monitor beep, alarms in general, noises in the night that suggest a pt is up, amybe wandering, or a child crying (well anyone can hear that noise, LOL)

There are specialty stethoscopes that are electronic for the hearing impaired- that alone would make you assume that many other people have been in your place! And that assumption is correct, there are many HOH nurses and I'm quite certain some who are deaf, I think I read about a profoundly deaf student last year?

If you haven't already check out http://www.exceptionalnurse.com/disablednurses.html several links and a (quiet!) message board there. I think I'm going to check out a few links myself!

Best luck and perseverance to you!

nursingyoursoul · Jul 15, 2005

Well thanks, that makes me feel better. Do the Dr.'s ever get annoyed with you if they have to repeat themselves? I worry about his every day. I'm already in nursing school RN but have a year and a half to go. I want this so much. Once someone told me, "you know what I like the most about you, you see what you want and you go after it." What this person dosen't know is that I'm always terrified. Just like now, here I am in nursing school and I am just scared to death. but thanks for the advice, it really helps. :) :)

MissJoRN, RN · Jul 15, 2005

Well thanks, that makes me feel better. Do the Dr.'s ever get annoyed with you if they have to repeat themselves? I worry about his every day. I'm already in nursing school RN but have a year and a half to go. I want this so much. Once someone told me, "you know what I like the most about you, you see what you want and you go after it." What this person dosen't know is that I'm always terrified. Just like now, here I am in nursing school and I am just scared to death. but thanks for the advice, it really helps. :) :)

Umm, for what it's worth, everyone is scared to death in nursing shool! And the first year as an RN...and every specialty change...and... I don't think I would trust a student or novice nurse who isn't scared. Maybe it's can I do this b/c I'm HOH, or dyslexic, or tend to forget things, or hand weakness, or something far more abstract. It's OK, you know a potential weakness, it's on your mind, so you can learn to adapt. I've learned to put extra effort into calculations b/c I know I tend to flip numbers (yes, I'm the dyslexic one) I jot stuff down in the OR b/c I will forget by the time I get to the storage room if I'm there for 2-0 or 4-0 suture...what needle was that again. I don't care if I'm the only one who has to jot stuff down and I don't care what the doctors think...in the end they get what they ask for! Besides, when it comes to what they tell you, if it's an order you have to ask them to repeat it anyway, right? We all do, it's protocol now. You'll find a unit you like, where you're comfortable...the Drs will see that you're intelligent, hard working, and competant, they'll be glad to repeat until they remember to speak up and face you the first time. Except for the pompous a** Drs and who cares what they think?

I guess what I'm thinking is if you were my orientee, I wouldn't mind repeating a few times before you did something (you didn't hear me/ wanted to clarify), what I do mind is repeating frequently over several days after the task is done (you didn't remember what I said/didn't care/assumed you knew)

stidget99 · Jul 15, 2005

Well thanks, that makes me feel better. Do the Dr.'s ever get annoyed with you if they have to repeat themselves? I worry about his every day. I'm already in nursing school RN but have a year and a half to go. I want this so much. Once someone told me, "you know what I like the most about you, you see what you want and you go after it." What this person dosen't know is that I'm always terrified. Just like now, here I am in nursing school and I am just scared to death. but thanks for the advice, it really helps. :) :)

I moved from the north to the south. The southern docs have a hard time understanding me (and vice versa). However, they got over it eventually.

Emery · Jul 15, 2005

I too have wondered about that. I was diagnosed with slight hearing loss about a year and a half ago, and it has grown worse. It is getting harder for me to hear someone talking to me if their back is to me. If I can see their mouth I'm fine. Thanks for the encouragment that I can still be a nurse even with this difficulty. :)

Emery

nursingyoursoul · Jul 15, 2005

Wow, you don't realize how much your advice has helped me. It's been my biggest fear. I guess I never though of other handicaps people may have that are nurses. I hope that one day I can work in L&D, I mean they scream in there anyway, lol. I'll take all the moral support I can get and I'll soak it up and appriciate every bit of it. You guys are the greatest. TKs :)

chattypattyCRNA2B · Jul 15, 2005

If you don't wear the hearing aids because of the way the look you may want to try the kind that you are so small they don't show on the outside of the ear. Have you tried those?

nursingyoursoul · Jul 15, 2005

Well my last concern is what someone thinks because I need hearing aids. People are too shallow when it comes to certain things in life. The reason I don't wear them is because there is so much background noise that it just makes matters worse. But thanks for the reply.

Sis123 · Jul 15, 2005

I bet that person who suggested that you get hearing aids has no idea about the background noise being amplified.... I imagine if you explained about this, and that's why you don't like them, not it being a matter of vanity, they might understand why you don't want one. Problem taken care of.