Moderate Hearing Loss a Hindrance for Getting a Nursing Job?

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Hi,

I have a friend who is a student nurse. She has a moderate sensorineural hearing loss (she can barely hear audible high pitch sounds) and an audiometry test confirmed this. She has satisfactory hearing when it comes to everyday conversations. The only solution now is for her to use a hearing aid to enhance her hearing.

Would her hearing deficiency be a problem when she applies for a nursing job in the U.S.A.? Do they accept nurses who use hearing aids?

I hope someone here has a knowledge on this matter.

Thanks,

Joey

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Specializes in Peds, PICU, Home health, Dialysis.

The American with Disabilities Act legally prevents a hospital from denying employment to a nurse with hearing aids.

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Thanks MikeyJ, I'm glad to hear that there won't be any problem legally.

Her concern right now is that her school suddenly declared that they will dismiss any student who suffers from a hearing loss. It is so unfair since she is already in her 3rd year, and this requirement was not stated during the admissions and I think it is not in their student manual as well.

I told my friend that in case they found out about her condition, she can either seek the counsel of an attorney, or go find another school where she will be accepted regardless of her condition. I have also found some threads in this forum that show nurses with hearing ability, yet they are able to do their jobs well.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, PSYCH, PP, CEN.

I have a hearing problem and use an electronic stethoscope. It amplifies lung and bowel sounds nicely.

As far as all the buzzers, beepers and bells that are always going off, it is not a problem as other people tell you that you have a pump beeping etc. With all the noise on each unit we all depend on each other to hear these things.

Once in a while I will have a pt who speaks very softly and I ask them to speak up as I have a hearing deficit. This has never been a problem.

I did not tell anyone I have a hearing deficit until I was employed and working on a unit.

There are a lot of us out there with this problem. Unless it is a serious hearing loss it should not be a problem.

There are many web sites that give info on the electronic stethoscopes.

Tell your friend to keep mum and graduate. She should do fine

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I have one hearing aid and it helps me greatly.

Her school can not do this under the law. I would suggest to her that she speak to an attorney and have him/her ready to roll should she need it.

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I worked with a nurse who had a hearing loss. She wore her hearing aids, and some organization bought her electronic stethescope {sp} for her.

It was expensive, too, I think about 400.00.

So there's help out there and it shouldn't prevent a person from becoming a nurse.

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Specializes in Cardiac stepdown Unit & Pediatrics.

I've also got a mild/moderate hearing loss and HIGHLY RECOMMEND getting an electronic stethoscope for hearing sounds. I've got a Littman 3M 4100 with ambient noise reduction. It's great-you can turn the sound up or down as needed. Tell your friend not to worry too much-there's no reason on God's green Earth why she can't be a nurse with a little hearing loss.

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Her concern right now is that her school suddenly declared that they will dismiss any student who suffers from a hearing loss.

Hmmm, this doesn't seem right. What about people who can't see without contacts or glasses? What about obese people? What about the elderly? These can all be nurses who are not the picture-perfect 22 year-old, but they all find ways to overcome.

I have central hearing loss, which in my case is difficulty separating speech from background noises. The speech must be louder than the background noise to be understood. Both can be of low or high volume, but the louder of the two will be the one interpreted by my brain. I have real difficulties with "low talkers" and mumblers and get made fun of sometimes, but that's just life.

As nurses, let's remember that not everyone can hear well, so when speaking, speak at a reasonable level and speak clearly. But as nurses, you already know that.

I'm so envious of some of the nurses on this site and the knowledge you have.

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Thanks everybody! You have been a great encouragement to me and my friend.

There's good news too! Recently, her doctor certified her PTA (Pure Tone) is normal, slightly sloping towards high frequency. She also told my friend to show the certification in case any problem shows up in school. I'm so happy that my friends worries have lessened :)

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Specializes in OR.

Any school, nursing or otherwise that declares they will dissmiss students with hearing loss is discriminatory and goes against the ADA law.

Hmmm, this doesn't seem right. What about people who can't see without contacts or glasses? What about obese people? What about the elderly? These can all be nurses who are not the picture-perfect 22 year-old, but they all find ways to overcome.

I have central hearing loss, which in my case is difficulty separating speech from background noises. The speech must be louder than the background noise to be understood. Both can be of low or high volume, but the louder of the two will be the one interpreted by my brain. I have real difficulties with "low talkers" and mumblers and get made fun of sometimes, but that's just life.

As nurses, let's remember that not everyone can hear well, so when speaking, speak at a reasonable level and speak clearly. But as nurses, you already know that.

I'm so envious of some of the nurses on this site and the knowledge you have.

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