Question

When communicating with a hearing-impaired patient, a nurse should?

1) Stand or sit 3 feet from the patient
2) Shout at the patient
3) Speak directly into the patient's ear
4) Speak in a low pitch

Answer 1

A nurse should speak slowly and clearly to a hearing-impaired patient, maintaining moderate volume and facilitating lip-reading. Direct communication is key, and excessive volume or pitch alteration should be avoided to prevent discomfort or additional hearing damage.

Step-by-step explanation:

When communicating with a hearing-impaired patient, a nurse should speak slowly and clearly. This approach helps the patient to hear and understand the nurse despite any limitations in hearing. Direct communication at a moderate volume and clear articulation are essential, but shouting or increasing the volume excessively can be counterproductive and could potentially cause discomfort or further hearing damage. It's important to maintain a respectful distance and eye contact to facilitate lip-reading if the patient finds that helpful. Speaking directly into a patient's ear or altering the pitch of one's voice does not typically aid in understanding and should be avoided.

Furthermore, considering the hearing loss levels such as a 50-dB hearing loss would require sound amplification to be understood clearly. For more intense sounds, it's vital to use smaller amplification to avoid further hearing damage, which underscores the necessity for nurses to maintain a balanced and consistent volume during communication.