Can nurses be hard of hearing?

Published

Hi i'm new here and i am a pre-nursing student. I am hard of hearing and i really want to work in labor delivery in a hospital. But im worried i wont be able to because of my hearing (the guy who did my hearing test said i hear 14% of words clear in my right ear and 44% clear in my left ear). Ive seen alot of medical shows and i know that doctors and nurses wear that mask thing that covers there mouth and i rely alot on lip reading. Does anyone know if theirs a minimum hearing requirement for nurses at hospitals?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Is that your hearing with hearing aids?

I don't hear well at all although I wouldn't be deaf enough to be considered anything but hearing. I do know, though, there are hard of hearing nurses.

Most deliveries don't, I think, have masked personnel. Certainly, you would want to avoid the OR or a place where masks were common.

Good luck. I think you can certainly find your niche in nursing, and I wish you well.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

no that is my hearing without aides i used to wear hearing aides, not anymore but i want to get them again.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I happen to know a deaf nurse and she specializes in Cardiac Care. She does wear hearing aids, but relies most often on lip reading. She is an amazing nurse, the type of nurse I strive to be.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
no that is my hearing without aides i used to wear hearing aides, not anymore but i want to get them again.

Find a way to afford the hearing aids, Robyn. Between those and your lip reading you'll be unstoppable.

:)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

aww thanks thats so sweet!! im definitey gunna get them when i get the money!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OR.

I an an OR Nurse who is profoundly deaf and the only way I can really hear the docs is due to my BTE aids. I often ask questions if there are words that sound too much alike (for example _suture either ethibond or ethilon) The ability to compensate is more important than what people think you can do. Much success to you.:heartbeat

Hi i'm new here and i am a pre-nursing student. I am hard of hearing and i really want to work in labor delivery in a hospital. But im worried i wont be able to because of my hearing (the guy who did my hearing test said i hear 14% of words clear in my right ear and 44% clear in my left ear). Ive seen alot of medical shows and i know that doctors and nurses wear that mask thing that covers there mouth and i rely alot on lip reading. Does anyone know if theirs a minimum hearing requirement for nurses at hospitals?
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER,ICU,L+D,OR.

I suffer from a selective hearing loss.. If I don't want to hear it, I just don't. Does that count.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OR.

since you choose that, No it does not:grn:

I suffer from a selective hearing loss.. If I don't want to hear it, I just don't. Does that count.
Up Vote Up Vote ×

I shadowed a hard-of-hearing nurse last term. She did a phenomenal job. The only time I noticed that she had trouble hearing was when she would tell a patient "I'm going to take my hearing aids out now to listen to your heart/lungs/bowel sounds." Otherwise I wouldn't have known! She might have had a more expensive/more sensitive stethoscope than most floor nurses, but I didn't ask her about that. Good luck to you!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion