How To Communicate With Deaf & Hard of Hearing Patients w/ Nurse Mikaela

Someone tells you “just speak louder,” and suddenly you realize they don’t understand the problem at all. That’s the heart of our conversation with Nurse Mikaela, a registered nurse who is deaf, as we dig into what real communication looks like at the bedside and why clarity, not volume, is often the difference between trust and confusion.

We get practical fast: how to stop guessing and start asking patients their preferred communication method, how closed-loop communication prevents mistakes, and how to work with an ASL interpreter without turning the patient into a third-person bystander. We also talk about why deaf and hard of hearing patients may feel hesitant to ask for what they need, and how nurses can reduce that fear by offering options up front like clear face masks, writing things down, better positioning, and a calm environment.

Then we widen the lens to accessibility in nursing itself. Mikaela shares what it’s like being told to drop out, how assumptions show up during orientation, and how accommodations and assistive technology like cochlear implants, mini microphones, and amplified digital stethoscopes can make safe practice possible across settings from ICU to home health.

If you care about patient safety, therapeutic communication, and healthcare accessibility, you’ll leave with concrete steps you can use on your next shift. Subscribe, share this with a nurse or nursing student, and leave a review with the communication tip you want every clinician to adopt.

To submit your stories & comments, visit: https://simplenursing.com/podcast/

Transcript

Welcome And Why This Matters

0:02

We got a coat round. Welcome to Bed Bam Banter. What means Nurse Mike. Can I get a Bed Ban over here? Welcome to Bed Bam Banter, the official podcast of Simple Nursing, where we discuss the human side of healthcare. I'm your host, Nurse Mike, and today we have a very special episode which makes us question everything we know about how nursing should look. Today's guest is Nurse Michaela, who's a registered nurse and happens to be deaf. After losing her hearing at a very young age, she was told that she could never become a nurse. And yet, here she is working in healthcare and advocating for others for better communication for patients and providers alike. Now, before we dive in today's episode and learn about your personal journey, uh today we're going to be focusing on how nurses can communicate better with patients who are deaf or hard of hearing, and how we can do better at bedside.

Stop Assuming Communication Preferences

0:52

So, Michaela, let's start with the basics. Um, nursing students are taught how to communicate therapeutically, but honestly, there's very little education on communicating with patients who are deaf or hard of hearing. So, from your experience, what are the biggest communication mistakes that you see in your personal life that can also apply to healthcare when it comes to patients who happen to be um deaf or hard of hearing? I think one of the biggest issues a lot of the a lot of the providers make is they make assumptions without asking the patients directly. Like, what can we do without asking the patients directly? W what is your best way of how would you like me to communicate with you? Um I think the assumption can make can be problematic just because not every deaf patient is going to be the same. Some sign, some talk, some read and write, some don't know sign language, some can read lips, some don't. So I can see that in the healthcare field where people can assume a lot of things, but what are some things that can help with the communication? I think um asking the patients directly what they need is is gonna be number one. Um so that way they they'll they'll be able to ask if they need an ASO interpreter, if they need you to face them, if they want to read libs, if they want you to read or write. Um I think a lot of people think volume is the issue, and that's not really the case. Most of the time is understanding the speech, so the clarity

Closed Loop Feedback That Works

2:24

of it. Um so close loop feedback feedback is something that we should we should all be doing in in our practice. So what that is, is basically confirming what you heard from the person. So if someone is asking you, hey, can you give me some water, you wouldn't say yes, I can go get you water instead of just saying yes. Yeah. Um, because you don't you don't know what that person just said. Like if that person uh actually understood understood you or not. Um It's kind of like that um what we do with doctors, we just read back. Yeah, yeah, exactly. So especially like in emergency situation in a code, is I think this is a communication tool that benefits everyone, not just somebody who has hearing loss. So what I'm hearing you say is that closed loop feedback is very beneficial. Uh the example you used was, you know, if a patient asks for water, instead of just saying yes, you're saying, yes, I will get you water right now for you. Yeah, so that's pretty much it. It's really simple. Um, even though it's really simple, I think it makes a huge difference. So if a patient is saying like they have pain somewhere, then you know, asking the pain rating scale of like, okay, what is your pain at? Um, and then reconfirming their pain was would be special. I think the biggest concept of closely feedback, it's just making sure you're both people are on the same page that both people are understanding each other what's being said. Um so just confirming what you heard. So how would you say that miscommunication affects a patient's trust and safety? So patients are in a vulnerable state when they're in the hospital, so it's really important that we maintain patients' trust and safety. If there's any miscommunication or any misunderstandings, I feel like that can that can lead to a lot of patients feeling like they're not being heard or they're not thinking that the provider doesn't have the best interest in mind. Was there ever a scenario that happened to you personally? Miscommunication with the patient. I mean like um uh you being a patient yourself. All the time. Um yeah, yeah, yeah. So and I think that's also why I I use my personal experience to make sure I don't do that to them, to my patients too. Like

Using ASL Interpreters The Right Way

4:40

I don't use interpreters for a lot of my doctor appointments because sometimes I would have an interpreter and they would it would cause more confusion or misunderstandings, yeah. So even the interpreter would? Yeah, so it's hard because it's like I need the interpreter to have access, but but at the same time, it also can make things worse. So So would with this interpreter, does the interpreter typically do sign language or how do they interpret it? So I do. I use ASL, so that's the American sign language. So that would be like an ASL interpreter. Um so how how that usually works is you'll have the provider, you'll have the interpreter, and the patient. In the ideal scenario, the provider is still talking to the patient directly, but a lot of the time when they have an interpreter involved, that's not happening. The provider is talking to the interpreter, to the patient in third person. So, like, can you ask her if she has X, Y A or B symptom, whatever? Um, so and simply there's like Yeah, that's like dynamic, that's yeah, that's the three. Because the they always teach, especially on the NCLEX or nursing exams, like talk to the patient directly. Yeah. You know, don't talk to the interpreter, kind of like, can you ask her this? Yeah, and I think that happens a lot too, like just be direct. Um, ask the patient, talk to the patient. I think a lot of people tend to, especially if someone has maybe different communication needs, people tend to ask other people, like the interpreter or a relative, what does what do they need? Are they in pain instead of just asking them directly? Yeah. And I feel like just asking them directly can eliminate a lot of the issues. Just they know best. Yeah. Yeah, it's and and especially like simple yes or no questions like

Helping Patients Speak Up

6:33

that. Um, what do patients with uh deafness or hard of hearing uh feel afraid to speak up about? I think a lot of them are afraid to advocate for the needs, so the communication needs, sometimes they might feel like they're a burden or um as they deal with the feel like they're making things harder, like ask someone, hey, can you lip face me when you're talking? Or sometimes, you know, if you lip read, if a provider is wearing a mask, to ask them to wear those clear face masks. Oh yeah. Um so they have them, but at the same time to ask a provider to use it. So I think a lot of patients can feel afraid to advocate for themselves, um, especially if there's any pushback. So getting the clear face masks, uh anticipating that for anyone who is deaf or hard of hearing is a way to advocate for your patients because you're thinking a step ahead of those needs. Yeah, for sure. I think in the beginning, when you're introducing introducing yourself to the patient, ask them what they need. Um I think just opening up that space to tell them, like, let me know if there's anything you need me to do. Then you offer options. Like, I can wear the clear face mask. Is it helpful if I do this? Is it helpful if I write these down? Um, and I think that can make them more open to make them feel more comfortable to advocate for what they need. So

Coordinating Interpreters Early

8:03

for our nurses out there, it's very important for you guys to be familiar with how to get an interpreter, um, how to request for one, especially if you're gonna be getting admission for anyone who's hard of hearing uh or deaf. So can you share with us your any of your experience with coordinating an interpreter, maybe for yourself or for a patient as well? Yeah, so I've experienced both on both ends. Um, from personal experience, I know getting an interpreter can be um difficult. Um I think it's best to do that when you're scheduling the appointment or when you first see the patient. So if a patient is coming in when they're be when they're being admitted, if you know some most of the time you'll see on the chart, they need they need to have an interpreter. If you see that, then I think it's really important to get the ball rolling and look for an interpreter and start that coordination process instead of making the patient ask for the interpreter. If you already know, if you already know that that they need an interpreter. So

Told To Quit Nursing School

9:06

now let's talk a little bit about you. How many people have actually told you that you couldn't be a nurse? I remember on my very first day of clinical nursing school, um, it was my clinical instructor that told me to drop out and yeah, and they told you to drop out day one? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And first day of clinicals, I think that was a big that's the big part of it. It's like they didn't know what I was capable of, my skills, they didn't know, you know, they just kind of already made assumptions of what I could or could do. Um so yeah, they told me to drop out. It sounds like they weren't trying to accommodate you at all. Yeah, well, even just trying to understand what it was that I needed um well just be supportive. Um not even give you a shot. That's crazy. Yeah, yeah. I'm just curious, and probably a lot of our listeners are like how how does a day in the life look for you as a nurse with deafness? Yeah, so I think so that really depends on what kind of job I'm doing. Um, so whether whether it's in the ICU, home health or primary care, the the accommodations that I need, the car the accommodation and communication needs that I have are going to depend on what job I'm doing that doing. Um so with the accommodation I need for home health is going to be very different than in the ICU. Um there are some common accommodations like the stethoscope that I use for all of my jobs. So I use a hearing aid. So I have a hearing aid and a cochlear implant that helped me to hear it. Then I do have a microphone. Yeah, so I use that a lot for nursing school. In the ICU, when we were doing report, um, I'm just having there, and it just made it a lot easier to hear um to get report, get report.

Accommodations And ICU Realities

10:59

Have you ever been met with resistance in your career or difficulties from coworkers administrator? Yeah, I mean, I think in general, like um you're going to have, you're going to come across people who don't want to learn, who don't want to adapt or change. They want to stick to what they already know. So with a deaf nurse is not common. So a lot of people don't know that. They don't want to work with somebody that's not familiar with them. Um, so I said that clinical instructor, the first one that I had some challenges there, but the second one I had it was like an ID. She was very supportive, very um wanted me to be successful. And I learned a lot more in that second semester of nursing school than I did in that first semester. So I think that goes to show how like it's so important to have the right support system, to have to work with people who are willing to accommodate and what want you to be successful, um, you're going to come across people who will be dismissive. Um people who don't know about the different technology out there, you know, automatically a lot of people are like, how could you hear it? I mean, how could you use a stethoscope not understanding that now we have a Bluetooth digital amplified stethoscope that so I have a stethoscope that just directly the sound directly goes to my cochlear implants? Wow, that's really good. Um it makes it it makes them possible. Um, and I'm able to change the studies to to make sure I'm picking up every single sound. Have you ever had a preceptor in the hospital that was difficult to work with or maybe um any issues? Um I've had one or two. Um and I again I think the issue came from like make it assumptions. Um the I did have a preceptor who had a relative who had some kind of hearing loss. It um I think very on the mild side, so like mild hearing loss, and for this relative, everything needed to be amplified. And so that was the assumption the assumption that was the assumption that she made. If everything was louder, everything would be fine for me. So in the ICU, when we were doing orientation, she would make all of the alarms full blast. Full blast. So it was so loud and like not just for me, but the patients and the family members. So I kept explaining to her, now like I need it to be loud enough for me to hear, sure, yes. But if it's too loud, it makes it it makes it really hard for me to be able to hear the patient to differentiate the the alarms. And she again, volume is not the issue, it's the clarity. And would you say, would you say that deafness is a spectrum? Yeah, it is. So some people have like mild hearing loss where they don't don't have to have a hearing aid. The you know, then you have some people with me who have profound hearing loss, so I can't hear at all um in both ears. Um it's well, I mean, I can hear anybody over 110 decibels, so that's comparable to a firework. So really loud.

Tech That Makes Nursing Possible

14:34

So one thing I want to highlight today is technology and we're actually using right now. Um this is attached to your cochlear implant, right? Um, so yeah, the sound g goes directly to my cochlear implant. It's a mini mic, I think it's called a mini mic, mini-microphone. A mini mic. Oh, can you explain what this does and why it matters? Yeah, so it's a mini mini microphone and it's an attachment, it's a separate attachment. But what's cool about it is um anything that does not have a Bluetooth capability, I'm able to use that to stream the sound to my cochlear implant. So for nursery school, um, back then my cochlear implant didn't have Bluetooth. So I wouldn't plug that into my stethoscope. Well, if I brought in the teachers in school to I mean for lectures, I would have them wear with a microphone. So it's helpful for a different situation. So

Advice For Students And The Wrap

15:32

before we wrap it up, um I want to bring it back to the nursing students. What advice would you give any nursing student listening out there uh for caring for caring for and advocating for anyone who is deaf or hard of hearing? For anyone that's a nursing student who has a disability, um, I think it's really important to yes, advocate for yourself, but understand that your disability does not define you, it does not define the scope of practice, um, your abilities. Um so I've been able to work in ICU home health, primary care, I work at ADM festivals as a nurse. So I do a wide range of different specialties. Um even though having a disability is stigmatized in today's world, um, I think we're coming a long way to changing that. So the big takeaway for nurses and nursing students is that communication is big for patient safety. It's honestly the key, as well as advocacy and for patient care. So, Michaela, thank you so much for being here. Thank you so much for uh sharing your story and your expertise with us today. And I honestly I believe that this is such an important conversation. Um, just to remind nurses and even new nurses out there that it isn't just about fitting into a mold. Um, it's about meeting patients where they are, advocating for them, and providing safe patient care. And it's just a reminder that we want to make health care accessible to both sides, either for the patient, but also those providing care as well. So, where can we find you on social media? It's Michaela, it's at Michaela Chaperty on Instagram, TikTok. All right, guys, that's it for today. Thank you so much for tuning in. Please don't forget to like, share, and subscribe. And as always, remember don't let the bed fans bite.