hearing impaired

Published

Hi, I have mild hearing loss in one ear and moderate hearing loss in the other ear, I'm too self-conscious to wear my hearing aids as I'm a mature student and already feel our of place as I'm older than the other students! I've had hearing loss all my life but now I'm doing placements in a hospital I'm finding it very difficult to hear what people are saying and doctor's accents are particularly difficult. When I have told people I'm on placement with about my hearing they are sympathetic, but I find it difficult to tell every single person I come into contact with, especially doctors, that I need to have eye contact to hear them, many doctors and anaesthetists don't give a student nurse any time to speak, let alone tell them something personal like hearing loss. I don't want to be treated any differently to other people but find it hard to bring up the subject of hearing when some don't even acknowledge a 'hello'

does anyone else have this problem?? :-) thanks x

Specializes in Fall prevention.

Don't be self conscience about your hearing aids. I can tell you from experience that very few will notice and the ones that do will be understanding. When I started wearing aids I thought everyone wound notice but no one did. There are so many others things you need to concentrate on other than what others may think about your aids. And hey if it really bothers you that bad go to your Audi and have them put white shells on them and then tell everyone they are the latest thing from Apple.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

When I was in school, I did a clinical on a floor with a deaf LPN. The attitude when our instructor mentioned it, and what I perceived from her colleagues, was 1) acceptance, 2) good to know so that I make sure to face her when I speak, and 3) how cool is it that she's able to overcome such a challenge to practice nursing! She was teamed w/ an RN who obviously had to auscultate her pts' bowel/lung/heart sounds (scope of practice question aside; she was completely deaf so amplified stethoscope wouldn't have helped her, and she used a Dynamap to check BPs where everyone else was checking them the old-fashioned way w/ a cuff and scope. I can't remember how phone calls worked, if her RN did all of the calls or if they had a TTY phone.

I think these days too, that unless someone is completely ignorant, they don't automatically associate hearing loss w/ age. Actually my middle daughter took dance for 3 years with a little girl who rocked her hot pink hearing aids! :laugh:

Also, being a "mature" student as you put it is not unusual at all, either. Lots of people are changing careers nowadays.

All the best to you!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

Um, your original post said "too self-conscious to wear them". It's not sarcasm you're getting. It's fact.

chill out, I didn't say I wouldn't wear them, I said I was self-conscious about wearing them, sarcasm doesn't help a problem when I've admitted I'm anxious about something, thanks for the encouragement!
Up Vote Up Vote ×

all of you normal hearing folk need a little reality check. hearing aides are not the be all and end all of fixing hearing. and they bring problems of their own, ie as in any other prosthesis the skin can become irritated. and hearing aides and telephones do not go well together without adaption. i knew a nurse that had been both nearly blind and deaf, the deafness was treated and went away. she stated she would prefer to be blind than deaf any day of the week. that when she couldn't hear she was treated as if she were purposefully not hearing but the vision issues were accepted readily. and many of us still need persons to face us when speaking, and keep your darn hands away from your face!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.
all of you normal hearing folk need a little reality check. hearing aides are not the be all and end all of fixing hearing. and they bring problems of their own, ie as in any other prosthesis the skin can become irritated. and hearing aides and telephones do not go well together without adaption. i knew a nurse that had been both nearly blind and deaf, the deafness was treated and went away. she stated she would prefer to be blind than deaf any day of the week. that when she couldn't hear she was treated as if she were purposefully not hearing but the vision issues were accepted readily. and many of us still need persons to face us when speaking, and keep your darn hands away from your face!

Ok then.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.

Three of my aunts were almost totally deaf, but that did not deter them from leading the lives they chose. One became an OB/GYN who never married, one became a teacher who worked with deaf children, and the third became the mother of eight. They each wore hearing aids except when they were sleeping. Without having to mention them, most people were careful to speak clearly and stand or sit in front of them. In other words, they felt their hearing aids were no big deal just as their glasses weren't anything to be concerned about.

One thing I learned from them was to always carry spare batteries!

Three years ago, my husband was hiking in the woods with his little brother that he mentors, when he stepped on a twig that snapped and broke. A quick OUCH! and it was forgotten. Later that afternoon an unknown something bit his ankle. By the time he came home, his ankle was huge. It was still huge after icing it, so he went to the ER where he was X rayed and given abx which didn't help.

Ultimately, he was given Vanco, which helped, but it left him unable to hear as he had before. I told him I didn't mind about his hearing because he got his right leg. I feel losing some hearing is preferable to losing your leg. I still feel that way.

Wearing hearing aids is no different (or worse) that wearing glasses is. A good friend of ours lost an eye in the war, plus much of his hearing. Using the GI bill, he earned an MBA and a law degree from an ivy league school. Neither his prosthetic eye or his hearing loss has held him back.

What I'm trying to convey with my examples is that certain conditions that are either acquired or congenital, you often influence how people treat you. "Oh, by the way, I wear hearing aids so if I miss something or give an inappropriate answer, please repeat what you said." will get you a lot farther than not wearing your hearing aids and wishing that everyone would quit mumbling.

I won't discuss the legal aspects of not wearing your aids because that has been thoroughly addressed above. Good luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Gerontology.

Hearing aids are no different than glasses.

My eyesight is so bad I need my glasses to find my glasses! LOL

If you need hearing aids to function, then wear them. I bet that many people don't even notice that you wear them. Technology has advanced so much that there are hearing aids out that that can fit into the ear and can barely be seen.

If you don't want to wear hearing aids, that is your choice. But then you will also have to work in a profession where verbal communication is not used as the primary way of communication.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.
Hi, I have mild hearing loss in one ear and moderate hearing loss in the other ear, I'm too self-conscious to wear my hearing aids as I'm a mature student and already feel our of place as I'm older than the other students!......x

Suck it up and wear the hearing aids......

Far as I'm concerned its no different from wearing thick glasses because I'm this side of legally blind. Its what I have to be able to do to function in life and the career that I love

I think often we see things harsher than other people see them. I'll bet that the people around you dont notice your hearing aids

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ED, ICU, PSYCH, PP, CEN.

I work with a deaf RT that wears hearing aids and has an amplified stethoscope. He talks but has that particular speech that people have that learned to talk while being deaf. He rocks. I love him. I have a fair bit of hearing loss due to a bout of pneumonia. I don't qualify for hearing aids (wish I did) but I have an electronic stethoscope. I tell all my patients right away that I have a hearing loss and if I ask them to repeat something that is why. Never has this ever been a problem. Sometimes I make a joke about it being such a good thing my hospital hires the handicapped and they always laugh. Patients feel more comfortable when they know their nurse has a problem too. I hope someday soon you will be able to accept yourself and feel more comfortable.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Like most posters I really don't get it. I lost some hearing in one ear due to bacterial meningitis as an infant. I've lost more hearing in both ears because I'm old and have always loved to play rock and role as loud as I can crank it up in my car! Still do!

No one in my family (after it was diagnosed around age 5) gave me any special consideration or treatment, (3 brothers and 3 sisters). Until I was about 12 I thought everybody had one ear that didn't hear as well as the other!

I would have loved it if sensory hearing loss could be helped with hearing aids (it can't). I find no difference in wearing glasses ((I need my glasses to find my glasses) and hearing aids?

Glasses can be hard to fit, too tight, sores behind the ears or bridge of the nose, too loose they fall off every time I look down. It seems like they are always dirty and get scratched so easily. They are much more noticeable than hearing aids!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Will move the Nursing With Disabilities.

We have several posters on this forum that are hard of hearing and/or deaf. They have some solid hints/tips on how to work as a nurse despite a hearing deficit.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

PS Since my hearing loss was due to nerve damage hearing aids would not work for me. My loss was not a complete loss, I don't remember what decibels (if that is the correct word to use) and it was only one ear. But I could easily tell you "poor me" stories!

It kind of pisses me off that you dare to complain about hearing aids when thousands of hearing impaired people cannot even be helped by hearing aids!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion