Final answer:
The nurse should look for developmental signs like unresponsiveness to sound, speech delays, or absence of startle at loud noises, which may indicate the need for a hearing loss assessment in a toddler.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nurse should identify certain developmental signs that may indicate a need to assess the toddler for hearing loss. These signs include a lack of response to sounds or their own name, not being startle by loud noises, a delay in speech development, or a lack of vocalization. Additional signs that could warrant a hearing check are the child frequently seeming inattentive or not following simple verbal commands. During prenatal care, it's shared that babies develop a sense of hearing even before birth, indicating early on the importance of auditory health. If a child is identified with hearing loss, such as a loss at 5000 Hz due to loud noise exposure, they may require auditory stimuli at higher volumes compared to sounds produced at other frequencies. Therefore, if a parent reports any of these concerns, a thorough hearing assessment is recommended to identify any hearing impairments and begin timely interventions.