Have you ever found yourself asking a colleague to repeat something? Or, have to take a little longer than usual to assess heart or lung sounds? Ever have difficulty hearing someone on the telephone.
Hearing Loss
According to the American Academy of College of Nursing (2011) there are more than 3 million licensed nurses in this country. If hearing loss statistics for nurses are similar to the 15 to 17% prevalence rates of the general population, there are approximately 450,000 to more than half a million registered nurses who are working with hearing loss (Spencer & Pennington (2014).
So, why are we surprised to learn that a nursing colleague has a hearing loss? Is it part of the stigma associated with invisible disabilities? People can be born with a congenital hearing loss or acquire a hearing loss due to infection, medications, trauma, aging or noise.
Some may ask, "Are students with hearing loss being admitted to nursing programs? And, "Can nurses with hearing loss find jobs"? The short answer is, "yes"!
Nursing students with hearing loss are increasing in number, moving on to graduate and finding positions. Nurses with hearing loss work in a wide array of settings-hospitals, schools for the deaf, camps, case management, long term care and mental health. They also teach in nursing education programs.
Technology
Technology has done much to improve the lives of people with disabilities including nurses with hearing loss. Amplified and electronic stethoscopes are available. Choice of a stethoscope will depend on many factors including degree of hearing loss and if hearing aids (in the canal, totally in the ear, behind the ear) are used. There are different types, so selection should be made in consultation with an audiologist familiar with stethoscope use (Bankaitis, 2010).
Pagers that beep codes that mean different things can also help. One nurse made modifications to her workplace by using a master alarm with a remote receiver, and placing a receiver on IV machines to alert her with flashing lights when alerts went off. She also got help from her coworkers. The "ward clerk or other nurses alerted me if a patient was ringing for me.... other nurses made my phone calls and we used a 'barter' system in supporting each other" Maheady (2006 p.60).
A nurse with moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss wears bilateral behind- the-ear hearing aids and teaches nursing in Pennsylvania. Her master's degree thesis examined the lived experience of the hearing-impaired nursing student. She serves as a nurse professional leader for the Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Loss and created a "Guide to requesting vocational rehabilitation services" for nurses and nursing students with disabilities (Machemer, 2014).
During an interview for an ICU position, a nurse who has cochlear implants stated, "I made it very clear to them that if having cochlear implants was an issue for them, to please let me know NOW because I did not want to waste their time or mine....The supervisor smiled and said, "It's not a problem for us. We would love to have you work with us" (Keyes, 2014 p.134).
Appointed to the Governor's Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, a nurse with a genetic hearing loss works tirelessly as an advocate for people with hearing loss. As a nurse, she works as a Quality Improvement (QI) Delegation Coordinator for a Health Plan in Wisconsin (Schwarz, 2014).
In New York, a nurse is studying to be a family nurse practitioner. "I go into the patients' rooms with confidence, introduce myself, tell the patients that I am deaf and will rely on interpreters as needed," she says. "I have been able to make it work effectively (Rochester Institute of Technology).
When a nursing home opened their doors to the deaf and deaf/blind community, they hired deaf CNA's to communicate with the residents. "Now we have the young deaf taking care of the elderly deaf and it's a beautiful thing" (Therapy Center, 2013).
The University of Salford in the United Kingdom began the first nursing program for deaf students. One of their first graduates went on to work as a staff nurse at the National Centre for Mental Health and Deafness (University of Salford, 2009).
These examples demonstrate that nurses with hearing loss are practicing in many different settings and making valuable contributions to patient care.
Do you work as a nurse with a hearing loss? Do you work with a nurse or CNA with a hearing loss?
Do you use an amplified or electronic stethoscope? Do you or a colleague receive reasonable accommodations (Interpreter, amplified telephone)? Is there team support? Is technology helping?
Love to hear about your experiences.
Resources
Exceptional Nurse http://ExceptionalNurse.com provides resources and mentors for nurses and nursing students with hearing loss.
The Association of Medical professionals with hearing loss provides extensive information about workplace supports and amplified and electronic stethoscopes www.amphl.org
The Department of Labor Job Accommodation Network provides information about reasonable accommodation for nurses with a wide range of disabilities Accommodating Nurses with Disabilities
The UK Health professionals with hearing loss group offers resources and connections to other nurses and nursing students with hearing loss in the United Kingdom UK Health Professionals with Hearing Loss
References
Bankaitis, A. (2010). Audiology Online. Amplified Stethoscope Options for Professionals with Hearing Loss. Accessed on July 29, 2015 Amplified Stethoscope Options for Professionals with Hearing Loss A. U. Bankaitis Hearing Aids - Adults Assistive Devices 860.
Keyes, L. (2014) in D. Maheady (Ed.) The Exceptional Nurse: Tales from the trenches of truly resilient nurses working with disabilities. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Machemer, C. (2014) in D. Maheady (Ed.) The Exceptional Nurse: Tales from the trenches of truly resilient nurses working with disabilities. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Maheady, D.C. (2006). Leave No Nurse Behind: Nurses working with disAbilities. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, Inc.
Rochester Institute of Technology. Health Care careers for the deaf and hard of hearing community. Accessed on July 28, 2015 Lauren Searls | Health Care Careers for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Community
Spencer, C., Pennington, K. (2014). Nurses with Undiagnosed Hearing Loss: Implications for Practice. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. Accessed July 21, 2015 Nurses with Undiagnosed Hearing Loss: Implications for Practice
Schwarz, E. (2014) in D. Maheady (Ed.) The Exceptional Nurse: Tales from the trenches of truly resilient nurses working with disabilities. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Therapy Center (2013).
Amelia Manor Nursing Home Opens Doors to the Deaf and Deaf/Blind. Accessed on July 28, 2015 The Therapy Center | Amelia Manor Nursing Home Opens Doors to the Deaf and Deaf/Blind
University of Salford (2009). Salford student becomes first deaf male nurse. Accessed on July 28, 2015 Salford Staff Channel-Home | University of Salford, Manchester.
