Nursing Student with Hearing Loss

[courtneyrs]

I have moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss in both ears. I wear behind the ear hearing aids in both. I am in my junior year of nursing school (so close) and beginning my second round of clinicals at the hospital. I excel in the classroom but have issues on the floor.

Recently, my audiogram showed a decrease in hearing and I have noticed that my hearing abilities seem worse. I have trouble hearing simple conversations and sounds, even face to face.

My first day back on the floor I had trouble hearing my patients, my preceptor, the primary RN and my colleagues. I am consistently asking people to repeat themselves. I sometimes cannot hear alarms on IV pumps, I cannot hear call lights going off, I am unable to hear variations in breathing patterns/sounds on patients.

I worry about the day that I am in a situation where a doctor or another RN is dealing with a code and I am unable to hear their requests for certain equipment or begin to help quick enough. I worry about not being able to hear the doc giving me orders or hearing them wrong. I worry about not catching crucial information from patients whether in conversation or observation.

I have been thinking of this quite a bit recently and cannot find anyone who thinks that being hearing impaired and being a nurse is practical or even safe. I have considered quitting the program for the sake of patient safety. I am unsure where to go from here.

ANY advice is helpful.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I have considered quitting the program for the sake of patient safety. I am unsure where to go from here.

ANY advice is helpful.

There are RN positions that do not require any patient care whatsoever. For instance, I have not touched a patient or performed a procedural skill in more than a year. I earn my money by sitting in front of a computer.

Here's the caveat: these jobs require a few years of floor experience. If you can manage to accrue a couple of years of experience, opportunities will open up.

Look into areas that do not require patient care such as case management, nursing informatics, utilization review, quality assurance, and so forth.

[Party_of_five, BSN]

Can you change you hearing aid settings or maybe try newer ones? Maybe make an Audiologist appointment before making any decisions.

[courtneyrs]

I have relatively new hearing aids from Phonak with programs that reduce background noise and distribute higher frequency sounds to low frequency "receptors" to aid in comprehension. I definitely will be making an audiology appointment before making any decisions though.

[courtneyrs]

I will definitely look more into these options. Thank you!

[AhsokaFranky]

Hi! Check out this web page as well as the links on this page. There are many options for you. More Than Your Disabilities: Nurses with Hearing Loss

A google search of "Deaf Nurse" or "Deaf nurses" will lead you to a lot of information. If there are specific nurses listed, you should find those people on Facebook or linked and email them directly to ask them how they do it.

Good luck!!!

[DefmamaNurse]

Hang in there! 100% Deaf Nurse here (Cochlear Implant recipient) and I'm on the floor almost everyday. I work LTC, and I deal with the same things you do. I know of a nurse who is Deaf who has a "bosom buddy" (CNA) who is her alarm, and directs her with everything. Like you I have a very hard time hearing alarms, but my D.O.N recently saved me the stress of worrying by getting wireless fall alarms complete with a pager that vibrates and alerts me via flashing lights or symbols. So hang in there! Were there is a will there is a way! College I went to tried to deter me by saying I couldn't possibly be able to do it! Oh but I did! I got a stethoscope that connects directly to my C.I. and I can take vitals, I hear pad alarms better than most of my co-workers and saved quite a few residents from serious injury.

Bottom line is: Stick with it.

[SouthpawRN]

I am a Deaf nursing student with CI's. You have to realize that you are entitled to reasonable accommodations in employment under ADA. My own thoughts are to work with a regular team of people and train them as to what they need to do in a Code or other situation to allow you to do your job safely. I have ASL interpreters in my clinicals right now and it allows me to have a backup and they also let me know when they hear alarms etc. (I am figuring out where I can be successful and where I can't hear well enough while I still have interpreters with me). The other thing, the hospital could advertise for CNA or ER Tech etc that knows ASL and pay them a bilingual pay and have them work the same shifts with me. Having a text paging setup instead of a phone for example, or maybe if a patient is hard for you to understand, swapping patients with another RN. Telling people they need to look at you when asking or talking to you. I tell people "IF I AM NOT LOOKING AT YOU, I DIDN'T HEAR YOU EVEN IF YOU RIGHT NEXT TO ME". I don't use the phone because I just hate it and have trouble hearing well on the phone. I prefer using video relay phones in ASL. But I would tell the Doc or whoever I didn't understand that I'm Deaf and need them to repeat the order to another nurse to verify it is correct or read it back and ask them to say yes or no if the order is correct. You also don't have to work in a hospital. Find an environment where you can hear better like a clinic, Dr office or home health care. I am hoping to get an apprenticeship in the local hospital in ER. I have a background in EMS and I figure in the ER, I don't have to call a lot of doctors, If I need an order I can go directly to the ER Doc. When I call floor reports, Its mostly me talking and the floor nurse listening. Better yet I can do it face to face and take the patient up myself. In the practice code we did in Simulation, it was difficult to follow everyone talking, so I will try and develop techniques to use with the staff I work with to make this successful...