severe hearing loss in one ear/working in CCU

oregonnurse2007 · Jan 24, 2011

I currently work with someone who does have hearing loss, and sometimes it is dangerous. Sometimes he doesn't hear us calling him or talking to him, the patient's call lights, doesn't understand what we are saying to him, or more importantly, he doesn't always hear his pumps going off in his room. Example: last week his levophed drip on his pt was empty, but he didn't hear the pump going off. All of a sudden the monitor alarms are screaming because the art line pressure was 50/31 with a good waveform and dropping fast. He had to run and grab a new bag, reprime the tubing, take the old one out of the pump and reprogram it. While he was doing that, I was grabbing a saline bolus and was pressure bagging it in the pt until the levo kicked in. There are other instances of that happening.

I don't mean to sound negative, I surely hope you make it all the way to CRNA, but this has been my personal experience with this matter. Investing in some really good hearing aids and excellent communication with your co-workers about your disability hopefully will help you overcome this obstacle! Best of luck!

LUNETUNES · Jan 27, 2011

I suffer Otosclerosis, and hear normal sounds. I lose lots of sounds or conversation if I am not facing the speaker; people talking in microphones, are muffled; concerts with everyone screaming, becomes a waste of time & money; people speaking with a surgical type mask, must speak normal tones.....I DO understand!

I had a stapedectomy in my worse ear, didn't improve enough to do my other ear. I agree with above, you need to share with your coworkers about your deficit, and if severe, consider hearing aids for the safety of everyone... patients, coworkers and all involved.

I found the OR a difficult setting, with the wearing of OR masks...speech was muffled and difficult to hear, lots was lost and was a difficult and stressful setting for me.

Good luck and don't keep your deficit hidden from your coworkers, or be ashamed of it. Work with it or cheat and get assistance from the technology availbale! Good luck!!!

ferial · Feb 4, 2011

I suffer Otosclerosis, and hear normal sounds. I lose lots of sounds or conversation if I am not facing the speaker; people talking in microphones, are muffled; concerts with everyone screaming, becomes a waste of time & money; people speaking with a surgical type mask, must speak normal tones.....I DO understand!
I had a stapedectomy in my worse ear, didn't improve enough to do my other ear. I agree with above, you need to share with your coworkers about your deficit, and if severe, consider hearing aids for the safety of everyone... patients, coworkers and all involved.
I found the OR a difficult setting, with the wearing of OR masks...speech was muffled and difficult to hear, lots was lost and was a difficult and stressful setting for me.
Good luck and don't keep your deficit hidden from your coworkers, or be ashamed of it. Work with it or cheat and get assistance from the technology availbale! Good luck!!!

Thanks for reply,I started LPN 2 weeks ago and I like it,I plan to go shadowing later on to be able to picture myself as a CRNA.If I find it difficult I may not put effort to do so,I can go through cochlear implant but I am still undecided about it.Thanks again and I hope you a good luck as well. :nurse:

ferial · Feb 4, 2011

I currently work with someone who does have hearing loss, and sometimes it is dangerous. Sometimes he doesn't hear us calling him or talking to him, the patient's call lights, doesn't understand what we are saying to him, or more importantly, he doesn't always hear his pumps going off in his room. Example: last week his levophed drip on his pt was empty, but he didn't hear the pump going off. All of a sudden the monitor alarms are screaming because the art line pressure was 50/31 with a good waveform and dropping fast. He had to run and grab a new bag, reprime the tubing, take the old one out of the pump and reprogram it. While he was doing that, I was grabbing a saline bolus and was pressure bagging it in the pt until the levo kicked in. There are other instances of that happening.
I don't mean to sound negative, I surely hope you make it all the way to CRNA, but this has been my personal experience with this matter. Investing in some really good hearing aids and excellent communication with your co-workers about your disability hopefully will help you overcome this obstacle! Best of luck!

Many thanks for sharing what you know,I started LPN program and I like it...later on I will do shadowing in ER ,yet if it doesn't fit me I will go by something else.Thanks again and good luck to you too. :nurse:

llg, PhD, RN · Feb 4, 2011

I am totally deaf in one ear and have normal hearing the other -- lost one ear after I was already a nurse. My concern about an OR environment would be the difficulty in understanding people speak who are wearing masks. Being able to see people's faces (lips) as they talk is a big help. You may be using those visual cues more than you realize -- and may have more trouble than you think when masks take them away.

I wouldn't do it ... I wouldn't want to take that risk ... but I won't say that it would be impossible.

ferial · Feb 5, 2011

I am totally deaf in one ear and have normal hearing the other -- lost one ear after I was already a nurse. My concern about an OR environment would be the difficulty in understanding people speak who are wearing masks. Being able to see people's faces (lips) as they talk is a big help. You may be using those visual cues more than you realize -- and may have more trouble than you think when masks take them away.
I wouldn't do it ... I wouldn't want to take that risk ... but I won't say that it would be impossible.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, my question then would be as a nurse anesthetist how much my job will be relied on speeches which takes place in the OR.Once I was in OR for csection ,the personel were talking about their shoppings...nothing related to medical, but I know that doesn't happen all times.Also with my problem,what specialty in nursing will have less stress based on your experience?I appreciate your time. I also am thinking of implant or using Transears for single sided deafness,but I am not a fan of surgery at all.Best of luck for you and thank you so much. :nurse: