HOH-RN

which scope are you using with your BTE aids? Do you just remove your hearing aids and use the amplified scope? I'm curious as I'm new to hearing aids and looking to purchase my first amplied scope. ALSO, FOR THE ORIGINAL POSTER: what departments are you applying for? Are they concerned that you will not be able to safely perform your duties due to the loud nature of the units and high acuity of the patients?

Maybe looking into home health or non-clinical nursing? I'm currently looking at those options as I was an experienced ER nurse in a loud, busy trauma hospital that lost his hearing due to recent illness. Finding a job that will put you in an environment where you can succeed is the hardest part I think. I had someone suggest OR to me as well. I went down to my hospital's OR to check it out and realized their air filtration/AC system was extremely loud and when combined with the masks made communication more difficult. I'm still on medical leave right now, but starting to consider non-hospital jobs where I will have more control of my environment. In quiet settings, my particular hearing loss is not a huge challenge. One on one, in those settings I can function very well. So, home health, maybe an employee health setting, or out-patient settings. Places where I can control the environment/noise level will be a driving factor to me when I start looking for a job. That and I'm starting to end look at going back to school. I have my ADN, thinking of going back for BSN and maybe going into research or MSN and teaching.

Posted this up in another forum but have recieved no responses due to the limited nature of the forum. Basically, I'm an ER nurse that is for health reasons, having to end my ER career. I've recently been diagnosed with an auto-immune problem that is causing me to lose my hearing. Hearing aids should help and I should be able to still communicate well in quiet settings, but the fast paced, LOUD, no time for mistakes nature I loved so much in the ER is no longer an option for me. Talking with me one on one you probably won't know my hearing sucks, but in fast paced Trauma Hospital? My doctors have stressed that I need to reduce my stress levels while being treated long term with Methotrexate for the auto-immune disorder. I'm ok with walking away from the ER. I've made my peace with that. But, it's been the only nursing job I've had since I graduated. Never really looked at other fields during school since all I wanted was to work in a trauma hospital. Home Health? Public Health? Case Management? Maybe going back to school? I have no idea how to go about researching some of these things and what kind of transitional training will be required. Any suggestions/advice would be greatly appreciated.