title: Communicating with the hearing impaired patient.
abstract: Good communication, a valuable art at any time, is vital in the health professions. Competent nursing care depends on open and effective communication between the nurse and the patient. Often the nurse is the member of the team who through interaction, observation and assessment is best able to monitor the daily emotional status of the neurologically compromised patient. It is not uncommon for neurological patients to either present with or experience some degree of hearing loss during their hospital admission. This situation then demands, of the nurse, knowledge and competence with unique strategies and techniques to ensure the lines of communication are kept open. Experience as both a registered nurse and a neurological patient with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss has permitted me a fuller appreciation and understanding of barriers facing both hearing impaired patients as well as those nurses caring for them. It is helpful and indeed necessary for neurological nurses to gain both an awareness and knowledge of effective communication patterns for use with their hearing impaired patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  1. Understand the physiological mechanisms and types of hearing loss. 2. Gain an awareness and understanding of the barriers facing a hearing impaired patient. 3. Learn concrete communication strategies and techniques to help overcome these barriers.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Chovaz
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D003638:Deafness / Q000523:psychology*; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D012682:Sensory Aids; D012934:Social Isolation