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

[AnnieOaklyRN]

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

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

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.

This is what I came here to say.

OP, how do you know it's a hearing issue and not an attention issue? Or a comprehension issue?

I am not an audiologist, therefore I wouldn't tell someone he needs hearing aids. I may mention to him or to his supervisor who is in more of a position to judge his performance that something seems off/that I'm not sure he hears me when I speak.

[bgxyrnf, MSN, RN]

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

"...putting it all on other people..." or reasonable accommodations... Always going to be case-by-case with the devil found in the details.

[AngelKissed857, BSN, RN]

I'm just getting ready to have the same conversation with a co-worker. The fine thing is that I have a significant loss, and wear hearing aids. I'm really up-front about it at work, and get tons of support. Hopefully that'll make it easier for him. I'm taking him out for happy hour to do it though...

[Katillac, 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.

Wow, you're assuming a great deal here - or maybe projecting your own issues onto a complete stranger.

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.

That's great that your work-around is effective. I assume you've had a conversation with each of your co-workers and made them aware of what accommodations are necessary for you? Unfortunately in this case, there's been no discussion at all.

How I choose to deal with my disability is up to me, not to others...

Of course, but if you chose to ignore your hearing loss as the person in the OP appears to be doing, and by doing so put patient safety on the line through poor communication, I'm sure you can see that it becomes someone else's business as well.

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 see this very differently. Annie needs to have a conversation with her co-worker not about disability necessarily but that effective communication isn't consistently happening. No need to walk on eggshells about that; a co-worker delivering emergent care who nods understanding but doesn't appear to actually have heard is dangerous. Reasonable accommodation includes identifying the disability and what steps are needed to support the individual in performing their job, and I'm pretty sure effective communication is part of the job description here.

[AngelKissed857, BSN, RN]

This person is saying it IS a safety issue. When you can't hear week, you work hard to fill in the gaps. A partner having to say everything at least twice isn't just annoyed, it puts a wedge in their working relationship, it may make the OP less trusting of the partner because the partner isn't acknowledging a real issue. How does OP know if partner heard a dosage or vital correctly? Hearing aids are not the be-all, end-all solution. But in healthcare they are a necessary tool.

Every state has a Department of Rehabilitation. It's free. If anyone has a disability that's interfering with their ability to work, they will do whatever is necessary to keep them on the job, and help them get a job that works, including paying tuition for school. They bought me the best hearing aids on the market. Alarms are really tough with hearing aids, they actually hurt! But mine have a setting that automatically decreases loud noises. The Littman 3200 lets me use a stethoscope without removing my hearing aids, and hear things the docs miss. And when I need to chart, and it's loud and crazy, I tell my co-workers workers I'm going on radio silence and turn them off. If I'm needed, they just get my attention. There are still times I can't hear, and I ask for a repeat with the person facing me, and that's ok. At the end of the day, I take them out, it's overwhelming to hear well all the time. There is a huge downside to not dealing with this issue. Someone is going to get hurt or fired, or both.