Would you tell a co-worker he needs hearing aides?

[AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

Hi all,

So I started working with a new partner (on the ambulance) a few months ago, and this guy is so deaf. We have a great working relationship and even talk outside of work on occasion.

The problem is.. He can't hear well at all. He can obviously hear to a degree, but i have to repeat EVERYTHING at least once and sometimes more and sometimes he just nods his head even though he doesn't even know what I said. This would be ok if it was a social thing, but this happens on calls when I am asking him to do things that have to do with patient care, which could be dangerous, especially if it is a safety issue for us.

My question is, would any of you approach this partner and talk to him about his hearing problem? Would you talk to a manger? Or would you just put up with it in fear of insulting him and hurting his feelings?

Annie

[MrNurse(x2), ADN]

This is a professional issue, therefore, a discreet conversation is warranted. I would say that you have noticed that you have to repeat yourself a lot and you were wondering if you were not speaking loud enough. That deflects the initial criticism to you and allows him to process the information. Then you can relay your fear of how this could endanger patient care. I doubt this will cause embarrassment on his part. I know I have hearing loss and I am constantly apologizing for having people repeat themselves.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

your heading is wrong. you do not know he needs hearing aids, you are not an audiologist. apparently he has issues hearing, he needs to be evald by doc for all possible causes.

[caliotter3]

Better to hear it from you than his supervisor if it puts him in a bad position at his job. At least, if you bring it to his attention, he has the opportunity to see the light and do something about it. Oftentimes, people don't notice deficits until a bad experience makes it impossible to miss any longer.

[Triddin]

I'd probably say something of the lines of, hey, I've noticed in (list a bunch of situations) you seem to have difficulty hearing me. Have you considered having your hearing checked"

[Cowboyardee]

Chances are he already knows.

If you're friendly enough with him to talk outside of work, there's probably not much risk in asking him about it sometime. Don't talk about it like it's a crisis or something to be ashamed of and he most likely won't be offended. You might find he's already had it checked out or that its some kind of auditory processing problem instead. Also might be worth coming up with some kind of hand signals or other quick means of communication for common emergency situations at work between you two.

[broughden]

Hi all,

So I started working with a new partner (on the ambulance) a few months ago, and this guy is so deaf. We have a great working relationship and even talk outside of work on occasion.

The problem is.. He can't hear well at all. He can obviously hear to a degree, but i have to repeat EVERYTHING at least once and sometimes more and sometimes he just nods his head even though he doesn't even know what I said. This would be ok if it was a social thing, but this happens on calls when I am asking him to do things that have to do with patient care, which could be dangerous, especially if it is a safety issue for us.

My question is, would any of you approach this partner and talk to him about his hearing problem? Would you talk to a manger? Or would you just put up with it in fear of insulting him and hurting his feelings?

Annie

Annie,

Im a combat vet. My hearing in certain frequencies is shot.

Your partner might very well be in denial about his hearing loss. I would talk to him one on one after work one day, be encouraging, tell him you think you guys make a great team but you have some concerns and you want to see him get help.

Being supportive should short circuit any denial or embarrassment he may feel.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I agree with the above posters. A discreet, supportive conversation is a good way to go. I love the idea of asking how you can help him hear you better. It might be that he has little problem hearing most people -- but that your voice is particularly hard for him to hear clearly. People with hearing loss (like me) often have more trouble with some voices than others. Your particular pitch, volume, and clarity of pronunciation may be contributing to his problem in hearing you.

That's one of the frustrating and socially isolating aspects of hearing loss -- it's not just the person with the loss who contributes to resulting communication problem. ("I" have a hearing loss ... but "we" have a communication problem.)

So ... bring up the communication issue without labeling it as "all his fault" and ask what you can do to help. From there you can suggest that he get his hearing tested and see where it goes from there.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

Annie,

Im a combat vet. My hearing in certain frequencies is shot.

Your partner might very well be in denial about his hearing loss. I would talk to him one on one after work one day, be encouraging, tell him you think you guys make a great team but you have some concerns and you want to see him get help.

Being supportive should short circuit any denial or embarrassment he may feel.

Or tell him you think you guys make a great team, but you're wondering if your voice is in a frequency that he has difficulty hearing and you want to know what you can do to help.

[bgxyrnf, MSN, RN]

I, too, suffer from significant hearing disability and I assure you, I'm much more aware of it than is anybody else. Your partner is probably aware of his/her disability, too, but has decided that it's not worth the hassle and expense of hearing aids which cost thousands of dollars, are moderately effective though I can imagine that in the field they could actually make things worse, and are easily lost or damaged... especially when you're trying to use a stethoscope.

Having to repeat yourself sounds more like an annoyance for you than a huge issue for him/her... I know people get irritated with me but anyone who knows me knows that they have to get my attention first and then speak up or speak closely.

How I choose to deal with my disability is up to me, not to others... same goes with your partner.

As I said, s/he is probably well aware of his/her disability but if you want to gently introduce the topic into a friendly conversation - and it sounds like you already have a friendly relationship - then go for it but recognize that our disability is no different than anybody else's and can be a touchy subject so tread lightly and be very careful about your tone and wording.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

I, too, suffer from significant hearing disability and I assure you, I'm much more aware of it than is anybody else. Your partner is probably aware of his/her disability, too, but has decided that it's not worth the hassle and expense of hearing aids which cost thousands of dollars, are moderately effective though I can imagine that in the field they could actually make things worse, and are easily lost or damaged... especially when you're trying to use a stethoscope.

Having to repeat yourself sounds more like an annoyance for you than a huge issue for him/her... I know people get irritated with me but anyone who knows me knows that they have to get my attention first and then speak up or speak closely.

How I choose to deal with my disability is up to me, not to others... same goes with your partner.

As I said, s/he is probably well aware of his/her disability but if you want to gently introduce the topic into a friendly conversation - and it sounds like you already have a friendly relationship - then go for it but recognize that our disability is no different than anybody else's and can be a touchy subject so tread lightly and be very careful about your tone and wording.

I am sorry you have hearing loss, but putting it all on other people doesn't seem exactly right.

Annie, you have gotten lots of good advice here. Best of luck in dealing or not dealing directly with your partner.

[Julius Seizure]

Having to repeat yourself sounds more like an annoyance for you than a huge issue for him/her... I know people get irritated with me but anyone who knows me knows that they have to get my attention first and then speak up or speak closely.

How I choose to deal with my disability is up to me, not to others... same goes with your partner.

Maybe socially, but if hearing loss is affecting his ability to function in his job (and it sounds like it may be), then its possible that this is a situation where accommodations are going to be necessary to function in the role. No way to know from what limiting information we have, of course. But in general, being able to effectively communicate with your team is essential.