Deaf Nurses

[bestmommy12]

Hi I am doing a project for my ASL class at CWI and I was wondering what exactly a deaf or hard of hearing person has to go through to get their nursing license. Do they need to have an interpreter with them at all times while they are working? Do they get special attention at work?

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Welcome to AN! One thing to remember about the Americans with Disabilities Act is that it requires only reasonable accommodations. Not everyone can be a nurse- patient safety is a must. You may find this article helpful.

And another comment on the topic:

I am deaf in one ear and slightly hard of hearing in the other. So it is something I have thought about.

Yes, a deaf person can be a nurse -- but it would be silly to think that all settings and specialties would be a practical choice. Communication is very important -- and we have to acknowledge that deaf people have communication challenges. It's not only a problem for us, it causes problems for our patients and the people we work with. We need to consider their needs/desires as well as our own and not force them to accept more challenges than they can reasonably handle.

My advice for any nurse with a significant hearing impairment is to be realistic and acknowledge what their special challenges are -- and what challenges their hearing loss causes for others (patients, co-workers, etc.)

I don't think bedside care is a practical choice if your hearing is minimal. Neither is working in an OR (or anywhere else where people wear masks so that you can't see their lips.) I recommend finding a specialty or job role where you don't have to deal with a lot of background noise and you won't find yourself in emergency situations having to react quickly to rapid conversation from strangers, etc. I work in nursing staff development and have very minimal challenges because of my hearing/balance issues. I can teach a class, participate in meetings, engage in conversation with no special accommodation needed. But I can imagine a lot of scenarios in which my hearing loss would cause problems and/or delay in my responses and I would not want to work in an area where those situations were common.

Good luck to you, whatever you decide.

And an association that may help: | Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Losses