Any Deaf, Hard of hearing Nurses?

Marvie · Sep 26, 2007

Amen to that Mechi:yeah::w00t:

LPN_in_training · Sep 28, 2007

I just started school for my LPN. I am HOH, and have worn BTE Hearing aids since age 3. I can read lips, speak ASL, and have good speaking skills. Just wanted to let you know that you are not the only one out there! Anytime you want to chat, send me a message.

Indy, LPN, LVN · Oct 5, 2007

I am on the mild end of hearing loss; low frequency sounds are my downfall, coupled with some nerve damage in my right ear. When I was in high school the audiologist I used to see, told me my stapes's are sort of grown together with the other ear bones to reduce conductivity. Yeah, I know there's surgery available for that. I've never been in a position to take several months off for surgery, and I'm pretty wary of it overall. (Same thing with lasik for nearsightedness...)

Currently I use an electronic scope and have to pay attention, especially with mumblers. Our cardiologist at work is from india, he's soft spoken. The accent I can handle, it's the soft speech that drives me nuts. So many people think I have such confidence because I look right at them while they're speaking to me; when really it's the desire to understand what on earth they are saying the first time. I've run across a lot of people who have difficulty hearing but either hide it or don't admit to it, it has crept up on them gradually and they just try not to address the situation. Going to nursing school later in life didn't give me that option so I'm not only dealing with it now, I'm looking forward to how it's going to change.

So far, with electronic scopes, I've noted that the Littmann, while wonderful, is less loud than both the Cardionics E scope and the Thinklabs scope. Thinklabs is the loudest thing out there so far, at about 50x natural sound. I intend to use my littmann until it absolutely will not work anymore, those things are expensive! Cardionics is the most innovative company, I think. They make the nifty adapters for BTE aids, the headphones for in the ear aids, and I heard they are working on a wifi version for the BTE's. Oh, and they also make the software to hook up to a PDA so you can see the sound. Neato!

Anyhow I'm rambling and it's time to go to work!

Alexandra7 · Oct 10, 2007

Hi.. I am deaf myself. I was in nursing program and felt so isolated with my deafness and skills and trying to "prove" that I can be like the hearing, that I just dropped. My goal is to be a Nurse Practioner and I am starting to wonder if it will be a reality for me. Please help if anyone can tell me where I can find nursing program that deals with deafness. Thanks!

blondebritbrat · Oct 13, 2007

Hello all, I'm new here, well not so new but haven't been active here for a good 2 1/2 years and I'm a pre-nursing student. I'm completely deaf and I wear a cochlear implant. My hearing aids were not powerful enough for me anymore so hence the cochlear implant and it's been a wonderful choice for me. I have good speech, know ASL/PSE, and lip read very well. My question here to you guys is where do you get special stethscopes that are for hearing impaired nurses ? I have been trying to find that out and no luck at all.

thank you!

MAN1703 · Oct 16, 2007

Hi I am new to this forum...I am just soo surprised to see how many HOH nurses there are...and happy to know that I am not alone. I am currently working with geriatrics..been working there for seven months after I graduated from the nursing program. I really am not so happy there. I also want to go back to school for my master and become a nurse anesthesist (may have spelt that wrong)...but I am thinking of choosing something else because I went for a rotation in the OR and I could not hear a single thing that the surgeon was saying because they wear the mask. It was such a sad experience for me...I felt so left out. I lost my hearing when I was 3 yrs old due to a high fever...I wear bilateral hearing aids. I am wondering how the HOH nurses are working in the ICU, ER, OR...the stethoscope is not a problem for me but I mean how do you communicate on the phone to the MD when problems arise?? How do u hear the MD speak so fast in the ER/OR when an emergency arises?? How do u hear the bed/chair alarms that go off?? I feel like I am just not confident enough to go out into different fields of nursing...I am just looking for something safe. I am impressed that you are so involved and wow I didn't know the president was HOH. Thankss for the insight...Hope someone can answer my questions.

Tracey55 · Oct 22, 2007

Gosh it was good to read these postings. I'm a brand new pre-nursing student who will be applying this coming Feb. Besides the tremendous

anxiety over A&P and Chemistry and keeping a good GPA, the thought of being "found out" about my hearing loss is causing me added stress.

Right now it's not too bad..high decible loss and tinitus in left ear. Now that I know there's "others" out there and special assistance I feel better!

StressQT23 · Oct 26, 2007

Hello all. I am a 2007 RN graduate, and I have been HOH since I was 18 months old. I was born 3 months premature and only weighed 2 lbs. 3 oz. Due to being born early my lungs were underdeveloped and thus there was hypoxia to my brain which damaged the nerves in my ears.

Nursing school was VERY hard for me. I was the very first HOH student that the college of nursing had ever had. And my professors were not supportive. I had one professor who reguluarily told me what a bad student/unprofessional person I was. I swear I was in her office at least once every week. And my nursing program has written me up for numerous stupid things such as; wearing sweatpants to class when everyone did, asking what during clinicals (didin't have my FM system b/c my prof refused to wear it!!), and not having my preceptorship hours in b/c I was on spring break visiting my grandparents and my preceptor couldn't start until after!!

Also, on the night of my pinning/graduation another professor told me that she didin't think I would pass the NCLEX. She also said that she did not think I'd make a very good nurse. grrr:madface: :banghead: So yeah my nursing school experienced SUCKED.

As of now, I have not passed the NCLEX yet. But I refuse to give up, I don't care HOW many times I have to take it. I WILL be an RN. I worked too hard and too long to not keep going.

So glad to see others here in the same boat as me.

Stay strong,

Stacey

jerenemarie · Nov 7, 2007

I am an RN with a profound hearing loss. I've been working as an R.N. in a L.T.C. facility for 16 years now. The DON was very verbally abusive to me regarding my hearing loss; even with my telling her not to talk to me in this way, she continued to do so. I started keeping a written log with dates, times, witnesses to these verbal attacks. One example of one of her rude comments to me was hitting me on the head with a chart; I was standing at the nurses station, apparently she said something to me & I didn't hear her so she hit me on the head...when I looked up she replied "Oh good, now I have your attention!". There were staff & residents present around the nurses station when she did this! Talk about humilation, I wanted to cry but I wasn't about to give her that satisfaction. I went to the Administator and H.R. to report her after one of her attacks on me when she told me to "Go ahead and sue me!" when I had again told her not to treat me like this. Since I talked to the Administrator & H.R., she hasn't made these awful comments to me but she definitely does treat me differently from other staff. It seems like she looks for things to talk to me about, etc. Sorry about this rant! There isn't alot of jobs around this area, is very rural and I don't wish to move away for a differeent job. Thanks for listening! If there is anything else you can think of to help me handle these type of situations, please let me know!!

athena55, BSN, RN · Nov 10, 2007

Jerenemarie:

Okay, check out this website: www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm

It is the official website set up by the Department of Justice. Go over it. You will find a number that you can call (both voice/TTY) and talk to a DOJ counselor. S/He can tell you if you have a case or not against this person. You did the right thing by keeping detailed notes...This person is being discriminatory against you. YOU PASSED YOUR BOARDS, YOU ARE AN RN for goodness sake. Is this the image we give to others? That we can be kind, compassionate, caring to others, but we are mean to those of us who don't fit the Healthy mode? How dare that supervisor touch you, much less hit you over the head with a chart? SHE probably would tell others "Oh, I was just fooling around, trying to get her attention" Well, what about flashing the lights? That is what I taught others when I was working in an ICU, flash the light. That got my attention much better than trying to knock my block off (sigh)

What about a 501 officer or going to the EEO (if you have this in your hospital)

My best advice to you is to check out the above DOJ website. Empower yourself. I think you handled things well but now you will have more ammunition.

Remember Eleanor Roosevelt "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent"

Keep us posted! We are here for you! True that!

bye for now,

athena

CNALori · Nov 13, 2007

:)

Hello everyone, I am a CNA who is HOH in both ears since birth. I have moderately severe to profound hearing loss and wear BTEs in both ears. I know some sign language since I took classes up to ASL 3. I have a E-scope which I plan on using for LPN school that is starting up on Jan 8th at FCCJ in Jacksonville.

I graduated with my AA Nursing degree dec 2006 and decided to apply to the LPN, RN and BSN programs since all has long waiting lists. The LPN has taken me first, which is quite all right because I plan on getting my RN/BSN later on.

I had no problems with my nursing preqs. because the college provided me with notetakers in all my classes. The Students Disabled office has been a blessing for me during my two years of college. I am praying that the same school's nursing program will be sympathetic to my needs also.

It is a pleasure to meet other Deaf/HoH nurses, CNAs and nursing students. I look forward to much correspondance in the future.

Lori

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Nov 13, 2007

I'm moderately HOH and am (finally) going to be fitted for aids tomorrow.

Report that nasty woman as far as you can.