http://www.ehow.com/list_6324054_benefits-learning-sign-language-nursing_.

html

What Are the Benefits of Learning Sign

Language in Nursing?
By Lindsay Bledsoe, eHow Contributor
Health care professionals deal with patients from all types of cultures and backgrounds, and
nurses need to be well-versed in understanding their patient's needs. While learning sign
language may not result in a better job or more money, it is certainly beneficial to learn.

Improved Communication Skills

Learning sign language can be a benefit for anyone in the health care field. It will be
of more use to a nurse who commonly works with deaf patients, but it is a great resource to
know in any workplace. Many pediatric clinics and hospitals have specialized services for
hard of hearing patients and can be a good place to utilize signing skills. By understanding
sign language, you are opening up the lines of communication with children and adults who
have hearing damage and making both your job and the patients' lives easier.

Career Advancement

Though there is not any evidence that being multilingual results in more pay, the
ability to understand more than one language is a highly sought skill. In the field of nursing,
you may come in contact with patients that are non-native English speakers, so learning a
language like Spanish is also helpful. Those who are fluent in American Sign Language
(ASL) and English are considered bilingual and while understanding ASL might not get you
hired over another candidate, it will improve your flexibility on the job and demonstrate a
capacity for advanced learning.

Community Support

In recent years, laws have been enacted that guarantee the rights of deaf community
members. These include requiring all hospitals to have TTY telephones and numbers so
deaf persons can make phone calls, and providing interpreters upon request. Open
communication in the health care field is a priority and the rights of deaf patients are
protected by hospitals and health care providers that ensure understanding between staff
and patients. It is in this realm, that understanding sign language as a nurse can also be
very helpful.

http://infiniteteaandcoffee.wordpress.com/2013/06/20/sign-language-and-health-care-the-newblend/

Sign Language and Health Care: The New Blend

June 20, 2013 by kreeesthea | 6 Comments

Picture this: youre a nurse in the Emergency Room. Then a woman comes in. By the look
of her, shes in extreme pain. You come for rescue, and help her to the best of your ability.
You assist her to sit down, and make sure shes comfortable. You get ready to start your
assessment. Blood Pressure apparatus: Check. Thermometer: Check. Pen and Paper:
Check. Other things that you think you might need: check. Youre ready. Then you proceed:
Maam, how are you feeling? Is there anything I can help you with?
The client keeps silent, and gestures, I cant hear.
Your client is deaf.
What do you do?
The hospital can be a very confusing place, even for the hearing. For those who cannot
hear, it is even more complicated. The other night, I had to accompany a deaf client for a

medico-legal examination. After almost a year, I had the chance to be in a hospital setting
again, but this time, not as a health care provider. I was there to facilitate the
communication between nurses and doctors and our deaf client. (No, I am not yet a
qualified interpreter. I just happen to know basic Filipino Sign Language, at a conversational
level. Yes, the perks of working with the Deaf everyday!) Along with me and our client was a
Deaf leader from Manila, Ms. Rack Corpuz. (Ate Rack is the past president of the Philippine
Federation of the Deaf and is now in Cebu for three months as the Filipino program
supervisor for the all-Deaf cycle of the International Citizen Service.) The issue of health
care providers not knowing how to communicate with the Deaf has been our topic of
discussion as we waited for the examination to finish.
When a deaf person seeks help in the emergency room in a hospital, how are they usually
accommodated? This was the question raised by Ate Rack to the ER Nurse, to which he
replied, Mahirap maam. Minsan nangyayari, uuwi nalang ang pasyente kasi walang
nakakaintindi sa kanya. (Its difficult. Sometimes, the deaf client just leaves the emergency room
because no one knows how to sign). In some cases, a deaf person comes in with a family

member or a relative who can relay the information, though it can get confusing sometimes
especially when the deaf person is a gestural signer and there is no Deaf interpreter who
can relay the message to the hearing interpreter (gestural meaning the deaf person uses
natural gestures to communicate, which the Deaf interpreter can understand and translate
to Filipino Sign Language for the hearing interpreter yes its confusing but its more like
sign to sign relay interpreting). But what happens when the deaf person is alone, and no
else in the hospital knows sign language?

I remember being a nurse and working around any information that we can get from the
patient. In assessment, we take basic personal information, chief complaints, health history,
family health history, previous medications, etc, and utilize them to create a care plan. To
put things in perspective, what happens when theres a communication barrier between you
and the client? You may say, but its not everyday that you encounter deaf people in the
Emergency Room! Yes, true, but please know that this stems from their frustration and
apprehension that no one might understand them if they decide to go and seek medical
help. Based on my conversations and interviews with the members of the Deaf community
here in Cebu, most of them have experienced lack of accessibility, and some hospitals are
not Deaf-friendly, which discourage them to seek help. Also, it is not all the time that they
can bring an interpreter with them.
This barrier in communication is not just a challenge in terms of assessment and diagnosis
in the emergency room. This also applies to the supposed holistic care that the Deaf should
receive as a client. There are some cases when the deaf person is not given the right for
information. When youre deaf, and no one communicates with you, it can be that the care
provided to you is great (hands down, no bias) but then you dont really know what is
happening. I was given an injection. What was that for? I had an operation this morning. Whats the

matter? I took this same medication three times today! Are they trying to kill me? I was in that crazy
machine for thirty minutes! Am I still on earth?

Kidding aside, the deaf client needs to understand what is happening, and has the right to
be involved in the treatment. I have learned that just because theyre deaf and no one can
properly communicate with them, they are usually not involved. It makes them feel so alone,
terrified, and neglected. Can you imagine being wheeled into the operating room and not
knowing whats happening? It is the right of the deaf patient to be provided with a sign
language interpreter. They need to understand what the doctors are saying to them. It is a
basic right to obtain proper patient education or have the right for information. You may be
delivering great care, but youre missing one component on human rights. Yes, Its a big
deal.

This is just one of the many challenges for the Deaf community whenever they go out to
seek basic services. There is a glaring gap in the provision of services for the Filipino Deaf
community due to various reasons, but this can be summed up into one word
ACCESSIBILITY. The Deaf community has its own visual language,which is unknown to
most hearing members of the community. In a hearing dominated culture, a deaf person
often cannot gain access to basic services because most forms or systems are in
a language that is not his own. Policies and structures are hearing biased. The Filipino Sign
Language, the Filipino Deaf communitys preferred language for communication, is still not
recognized in the country despite continued lobbying.
How do you facilitate communication if you dont know their language? You might miss out
on important information to arrive at the right diagnosis if theres a communication
barrier. You can resort to pen and paper, but please know that written language is not their
preferred way of communication. Their mother tongue is Filipino Sign Language.
The way to understand and help them is to learn their language.
In November 2012, the Department of Health Center for Health Development in the National
Capital Region launched its Filipino Sign Language (FSL) module for health care
providers so that they can properly communicate with patients with hearing disabilities. To
quote Director of DOH CHD NCR Eduardo C. Janairo: We want to help the patient but we do
not speak his language and he on his part cannot convey to us what he needs. Some of these
patients are not accompanied by relatives. That is why it is imperative for us to educate ourselves
with their language to be able to communicate with them and give them the proper health care
treatment. Hopefully, different hospitals from the different regions will be able to have this

module soon, as they have already started training health care providers in NCR last April
2013.
If you learn the language of the Deaf community, it means you are pushing for their
rights.
The Philippines has signed and ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities, which means we are legally bound to protect, respect, and fulfill
the rights of Persons with Disabilities. The use and the recognition of sign language is a
basic right of the deaf person, therefore, there is a need to develop and provide sign
language interpreters and promote the use of sign language to facilitate accessibility, not

just in hospitals but also in schools, government agencies, courts, hotels, and any other
public establishment.
Now picture this:
In the midst of the hustle and bustle in the Emergency Room, a young woman comes in to
seek for help. She approaches the girl in scrubs and signs Im deaf and I need help. And
then the emergency nurse signs back, Dont worry. Ill take care of you, and communicates
with the client in FSL.
Its not that hard to imagine, is it? (And its exciting.)

http://collegian.csufresno.edu/2010/02/05/nursing-student-finds-inspiration-in-silent-cause/

Nursing student finds inspiration in silent cause

By Michelle Furnier | February 05, 2010 | News

Miriam Mahfoud struggled with deciding on a major while in high school. She eventually decided on
nursing after she visited a small orphanage in a rural village in Cambodia. The 19 year old was on a
missions trip with her church.
While in Cambodia, Mahfoud spent most of her time playing with the local children. She said that
she became filled with compassion during her time there after noticing that several of the children
were disease stricken or had deformities.
She knew that she wanted to do something for children. To help in some way.
While in her high school anatomy class, Mahfoud said she fell in love with how complex and intricate
the human body could be.
This love for anatomy combined with her desire to help those less fortunate, prompted Mahfoud to
become a registered nurse.
She began her college career as one of the youngest students in the nursing program on campus.
The sophomore plans to graduate in fall 2012.
Mahfoud, a nursing major and American Sign Language (ASL) minor, became interested in ASL
while sitting in her chemistry class watching an interpreter translate the class to another student.
Her ASL minor is currently on hold for the semester because the classes did not fit in with her
schedule. However, she says that she plans to continue with ASL 3 next fall. To keep her skills
sharp, she says that she practices with her friends so that she doesnt forget what shes already
learned.
As if being a nursing student wasnt enough for Mahfoud, she is also involved with several
organizations, including: the ASL club, the Recycling club and she recently joined the California
Nursing Student Association (CNSA). She also works on campus at the University Courtyard in the
marketing office and has done so for more than a year.
Mahfoud also volunteers at her church to help run a caf that supports students who want to go on
mission trips.

Despite her lack of spare time, she said that she enjoys being with her three sisters, baking and
going

to

the

local

frozen

yogurt

shop

with

her

friends

just

about

every

Friday.

Q: What did you find intriguing about the use of an interpreter in your class?
A: I was just amazed. An interpreter was able translate a semesters worth of chemistry without
words! I was mesmerized by how quickly the interpreters hands would fly about and translate the
lecture.
Q: What made you decide that you wanted to make deaf studies your minor?
A: After that chemistry class I knew I wanted to at least take ASL 1 (introductory class). I had a
fantastic teacher, Annette Klein, and ended up loving it so much that I signed up for ASL 2. I decided
to minor in deaf studies for a few reasons. First off, I knew I wanted to become fluent in ASL and
achieve my certificate in conversational ASL by the time graduate. I also learned about the lack of
interpreters and misconceptions about the deaf community in my ASL classes, which further inspired
me to make this my minor. And although I dont plan on becoming an interpreter, being fluent in ASL
could be really beneficial for myself and deaf or hard of hearing clients in the hospital setting.
Q: Will you incorporate it into your career or do you want to do something with it on the side?
A: My intention is to incorporate it and use my skills in ASL. I have been researching the
opportunities with nursing and sign language and although I have not found anything specific, there
seems to be a need. I have heard of some nursing positions that require ASL and hospitals or clinics
with mostly deaf or hard of hearing clientele. As of right now I am just focusing on one thing at a
time. Right now I am just trying to get through the nursing program and finish my minor. I will
continue to look for any opportunities or places in need of a nurse fluent in sign language. However, I
am sure I will encounter deaf patients in any registered nurse position.
Q: Was this the first time you found an interpreter interesting or was it something youve
always

found

intriguing?

A: I always thought sign language was an amazing way to communicate, but I was never really
exposed to it or had any deaf friends or family that used it. I became really interested in my first
semester of college, in that chemistry class.
Q:

Whats

the

hardest

thing

about

ASL?

Whats

the

most

fun?

A: The hardest part for me is sentence structure. Many people think that ASL is just like English
except with symbols and hand motions for each word, but its not. It is its own language. For
example, in sign, emotion and expressions, such as raising or lowering your eyebrows, has different
grammatical meaning. I have found that sign language is more than hand movements but an
intimate and expressive language that uses emotion in a way that oral communication sometimes
lacks. A few of my friends are minoring in deaf studies as well, so we enjoy practicing with each
other and signing in quiet places such as class or the library.
Q: What do you hope to gain from the deaf studies minor and what do you hope to learn?
A: In nursing, communication and developing a nursing-client relationship is so important in giving
optimum care. By increasing my knowledge of deaf culture and becoming fluent in sign, I will be able
to enhance the quality of care I give for a larger group of clients. I understand that learning Spanish
may be more beneficial, especially in California, but I feel that the deaf community is often
underrepresented and hospitals may lack the staff needed to better care for deaf patients.

http://www.minoritynurse.com/article/%E2%80%9Chomework%E2%80%9D-future-nursingstudents-disabilities
Homework for Future Nursing Students with Disabilities - See more at:
by Donna Carol Maheady, EdD, CPNP, RN, and Susan E. Fleming, BSN, RN - See more at:
Students with disabilities are increasing in number at nursing schools throughout the world. Although they
may initially encounter discrimination and other obstacles, students with hearing loss, vision loss,
paralysis, learning disabilities, mental illness, chronic illness, limb differences and other disabilities have
been not only been admitted to nursing programs but have successfully completed them.
If you are someone who loves helping others, nursing is one of the most rewarding careers you could
consider. But if you are also a person with a disability, there is important homework to do before you
make the decision to become a nurse. Nursing is a physically and emotionally demanding educational
experience and profession. As you complete your homework, make a list of the pros and cons. Your
decision shouldnt be based on what you think a nurse does or what you viewed on a television
program. The best way to find out what nurses do is to spend some time with nurses. Learn as much as
possible about a nurses responsibilities and the technical skills that nurses and nursing students typically
perform.
You can gather this information by talking to nurses and nursing students, observing nurses at work,
volunteering in a clinic or hospital, spending a day on the job with a nurse or working a part-time job in a
health care facility. Doing volunteer work with a nurse at a camp for children with special needs or at a
clinic for the homeless can also provide great insights. High school students should consider joining the
future nurses organization at their school or taking a health occupations course and joining a chapter of
the Health Occupations Students of America.
Additional information about what is involved in nursing careers can be obtained from colleges,
universities, technical schools, libraries, nursing journals, nursing associations and the Internet. Some
helpful Internet sites to visit include:

The

National

Institutes

of

Health, http://science.education.nih.gov/LifeWorks.nsf/feature/index.htm, to learn about careers in

health sciences.

Discover Nursing, sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, to learn about careers in nursing
(www.discovernursing.com).

ExceptionalNurse.com is a nonprofit resource network for nurses and nursing students with
disabilities (www.ExceptionalNurse.com).

The Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Losses (AMPHL), www.AMPHL.org,

provides information, advocacy and support for individuals with hearing loss who are interested in
or working in health care fields.

[ads:education]
Begin networking with nurses, nursing students or other health care professionals who have a disability
similar to yours. Ask these contacts about their experiences and about accommodations that helped them
succeed. Find a nurse or student who can mentor you. Do a library search and read all you can about the
experiences of other nursing students with disabilities.
Know your rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. Be knowledgeable
about reasonable accommodations and the differences in legal protections for students with disabilities in
high school and in college--i.e., the differences between IDEA, ADA and Section 504.
Keep abreast of new programs and developing technology, such as standing wheelchairs that will
enhance mobility for nurses who use wheelchairs. Clear surgical face masks will allow a nurse to read lips
when other members of the surgical team are wearing masks. (The development of clear face mask
products is being monitored closely by the AMPHL.) The University of Salford, in England, opened the
first nursing program for students who are deaf.

Understanding Admissions Standards

Another important part of your homework is learning about the different educational options available to
prospective nursing students and about how to navigate the nursing school admissions process.
There are several different types of nursing programs offered. Registered nurses (RNs) are educated in
baccalaureate degree programs (bachelor of science in nursing or BSN), two-year associate degree
programs and three-year hospital diploma programs (rare in the United States). Licensed practical nurses
(LPNs) are educated in technical schools and community colleges. In general, a BSN program is usually
less focused on technical skills.
Information

Central:

Additional

Resources Organizations:

The Association of Nurses in AIDS Care provides a newsletter for HIV+ nurses and students.
http://www.nursesinaidscare.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3317. NOISE (Network for Overcoming
Increased Silence Effectively) is a listserv and support forum for medical professionals and students with
any

degree

of

hearing

loss.

http://www.amphl.org/forums/ The Postsecondary Education Programs Network (PEPNet) is the national

collaboration of the four Regional Postsecondary Education Centers for Individuals who are Deaf and
Hard of Hearing. PEPNets mission is to assist postsecondary educational institutions in attracting and
effectively

serving

persons

with

hearing

disabilities.

www.pepnet.org Books:
Maheady, D. (2003). Nursing Students with Disabilities: Change the Course. (River Edge, N.J.:
Exceptional Parent Press.) This book showcases the success stories of eight nursing students with
various

disabilities

Serdans,

B.

who

(2002). Im

graduated
Moving

On.

and
.

.Are

are

now

practicing

U? (Philadelphia:

Xlibris

as

nurses.

Corporation.)

The author is a nurse with dystonia, a movement disorder. This book shares her journey of living and
practicing nursing with a disability. Available from http://care4dystonia.org or Amazon.com. Equipment
and

Technology:

A blood pressure gauge that can be used with one hand is available at www.Stethoscope.com. An
amplified electronic stethoscope (E-Scope) for use by nurses with hearing loss is available from
Cardionics, www.cardionics.com. A talking thermometer that provides an audio announcement of
temperature (along with a digital display) can be purchased at www.sightconnection.com. A pressuresensitive stethoscope for people with hearing loss is available from Ultrascopes.
There are no universal standards for admission to nursing programs, and requirements under state
Nursing Practice Acts can vary from state to state. Furthermore, admission decisions can differ from
program to program and can be dramatically inconsistent. The same student can be rejected at one
school and welcomed at another. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Some nursing programs have technical or core performance standards. Examples may include critical
thinking, interpersonal skills and communication, mobility, motor skills, hearing, visual and tactile skills.
Other programs may have more specific standards, such as being able to lift 25 pounds, physical ability to
perform CPR, hearing ability to understand normal speech without viewing the speakers face, and
manual dexterity to draw up solutions in a syringe.
It is important to recognize that even though you may have a career goal of working in an area of nursing
that does not require direct patient care--such as case management, research or teaching--you must still
complete nursing courses that will require you to demonstrate a wide range of technical skills, including
some that you may not plan to use after you graduate.
If you will need accommodations for your disability in nursing school--such as special equipment, a sign
language interpreter, books on audiotape or someone to take notes for you--you will need to provide
documentation from your physician, audiologist, psychologist or other health care professional.
Above all, be prepared, be prepared and be prepared. Anticipate a wide range of responses to your
disability from administrators, faculty, other students and patients. To deny that you may meet with a
negative attitude or response isnt being fair to yourself or realistic. The important thing is to move forward
with your head held high.

Rehearse Your Responses

Mentally rehearse responses to questions you may be asked during nursing school admissions
interviews. Always focus on your positive attributes, previous accomplishments and life experiences. Be
professional and enthusiastic. Practice interviewing by having someone role-play with you.
You may be asked about how you will perform technical skills with or without accommodations. Some
skills you may not be familiar with. Be honest in your responses. Keep the following examples of
questions and answers in mind as you plan for interviews.

A student who uses a wheelchair might be asked, How will you perform CPR? Sample answer:
First, I will call for help, which is the first recommendation of the American Heart Association

when working with adults. Then, I will get up out of my wheelchair. Its not something that I use all
the

time;

in

an

emergency

like

CPR,

would

not

use

the

wheelchair.

A student with one hand might be asked, How will you give an injection? Sample answer: I
have developed excellent compensatory abilities and can be creative when learning new skills. I
learned to tie my shoes with one hand when I was four years old. When I am required to learn or
demonstrate how to give an injection, I will seek extra assistance from the laboratory instructor
and

different

methods.

A student with low vision might be asked, How will you read a medical chart? Sample answer: I
will

practice

use

an

optical

reading

aid.

A student with a back injury and lifting restrictions might be asked, How will you make a bed or
turn a patient in bed? Sample answer: I will ask a colleague/peer for help. In return, I will
negotiate

work

that

can

do

to

help

my

colleague/peer

out.

A student with hearing loss might be asked, How will you hear a patients beeping monitor?
Sample answer: Ive never worked in a hospital. I dont know if I will be able to hear the monitors.
I may need assistive technology that will activate my vibrating pager when a monitor beeps.

A student with hearing loss may also be asked, Will you be able to hear the sound of a needle
penetrating a patients skin? Answer: No, I wont be able to. (You may be asked this type of
question to see if you will respond honestly.)

These examples are not meant to be verbatim responses that applicants should use, unless the response
is appropriate. They are included simply as examples of answers that are honest and show that the
applicant has researched or thought about the topic.

Go For It!
The future promises to find more and more nurses with disabilities working successfully in this exciting
and fulfilling profession. Nurses can practice in a wide variety of settings, such as telephone triage,
nursing education, home care, legal nurse consulting, case management, hospital nursing, school
nursing, camp nursing, travel nursing, parish nursing, research and more. If you know in your heart that
nursing is what you want to do, then do your homeworkand go for it!
Todays nursing workforce needs practitioners from a diverse range of cultures, backgrounds and life
experiences to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse patient population, both in the U.S. and around
the world. We need you in the ranks of nursing professionals, where you will be a vital part of the health
care team. Through your unique contributions and strengths, you will enrich patient care, share your gifts
and experiences, and add greater harmony to our profession.
Editors Note: In the Summer issue of Minority Nurse, the authors will examine what nursing schools can
do to make their programs more welcoming to students with disabilities and to help these minority
students become successful members of the nursing profession.

References
1. Bueche, M.N, and Haxton, D. (1983). The Student with a Hearing Loss: Coping Strategies. Nurse
Educator, Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 7-11.
2. Chickadonz, G.H., Beach, E.K., and Fox, J.A. (1983). Breaking Barriers: Educating a Deaf Nursing
Student. Nursing Health Care, Vol. 4, No. 6, pp. 327-333.
3. Creamer, B. (2003). Wheelchair Fails to Deter Paraplegic from Nurses Life. The Honolulu Advertiser.
Available at http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2003/Dec/28/ln/ln10a.html.
4. Eliason, M. (1992). Nursing Students with Learning Disabilities: Appropriate Accommodations. Journal
of Nursing Education, Vol. 31, No. 8, pp. 375-376.
5. Huyer, S. (2003). The Gift of ADD. Advance for Nurse Practitioners, Vol. 11, No. 4, p. 92.
6. Kolanko, K. (2003). A Collective Case Study of Nursing Students with Learning Disabilities. Nursing
Education Perspectives, Vol. 24, No. 5, pp. 251-256.
7. Maheady, D. (1999). Jumping Through Hoops, Walking on Eggshells: The Experiences of Nursing
Students with Disabilities. Journal of Nursing Education, Vol. 38, No. 4, pp. 162-170.
8. Pischke-Winn, K., Andreoli, K., and Halstead, L. (2003). Students with Disabilities: Nursing Education
and Practice (Proceedings Manual). Rush University College of Nursing.
9. Americans with Disabilities Act (1990), Public Law, No. 101-336, 42 U.S.C. 12101.
10. Matt, S.B. (2003). Reasonable Accommodation: What Does the Law Really Require? Journal of the
Association

of

Medical

Professionals

with

Hearing

Losses,

Vol.

1,

No.

3.

http://magazine.nursing.jhu.edu/2010/08/hearing-the-unheard/

Hearing the Unheard

Students
By Sara Michael

reach

out

to

deaf

and

hard-of-hearing

Helen Baker has an idea of how hard it can be to communicate with a deaf patient when no one knows
sign language. A student in the accelerated class of 2010, Baker encountered a man who was hard-ofhearing during one of her clinical rotations.
There were a lot of problems with communicating with him, said Baker. I felt like if you are going to
provide quality care, you have to be able to communicate. Its a sentiment shared by nine nursing
students who took a sign language class this spring.
Spearheading the cause is fellow nursing student Annie Mascorro, accelerated 10, who, on behalf of the
Peace Corps Fellows Program, helped organize apresentation at the school by Josh Swiller, an
advocate for the deaf and disabled, Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, and author of The Unheard: A
Memoir of Deafness and Africa.
More than 150 attendeesplus two sign language interpreterscrammed in a classroom during Peace
Corps Week to learn of Swillers experiences growing up deaf and traveling to Africa.
As they were planning the event, Mascorro and colleague Frank Mataska, accelerated 10, became
inspired to learn sign language.
Its a large minority group, and its a group we as nurses see in the hospital, said Mataska, who has also
encountered deaf patients as a student.
Mascorro and Mataska quickly worked out a deal with the Speech and Hearing Agency of Baltimore to
have an instructor teach a class at the School of Nursing. They applied for grant funding through the
Student Government Association to partially fund the course.
The 10-week course started on February 1, and covered conversational American Sign Language as well
as some basic medical terms. Its enough to communicate some basic terms, Mataska said, and help this
community feel less isolated.
During his speech at the School of Nursing in March, Swiller spoke of how his disability shaped his life
and his Peace Corps experience.
I feel like I may be putting into words what you already know, Swiller told the crowded classroom.
Choosing careers of servicethat is hearing the unheard. There is no greater work.
There is a lot of recognition among the nursing community about the need to understand diversity and
health implications for different groups of people, but often the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities get
overlooked, said Mascorro. It takes members of these communities and members of the health care
team to have some kind of awareness, she said.

http://deafness.about.com/b/2010/11/25/deaf-school-nurse-doesnt-knowsign.htm

Deaf School's Nurse Doesn't Know Sign

By Jamie BerkeNovember 25, 2010

A new school nurse at a deaf school on the forum says she loves the kids, but does not know
sign language. She is learning sign language, but it is taking time, and she is frustrated because
she knows how important it is to be able to communicate with the children. Since the ability to
communicate medical needs is so important, how can this nurse learn sign language more
quickly so she can do a better job?
Years from now this nurse will probably be a fluent signer, but right now she needs to be able to
have at least minimal communication with the children whose needs she is responsible for. I
assume the deaf school is providing a sign language class, but apparently it is not enough for
her. What is the fastest way she can learn so she can understand when a child comes to her
and signs "I have a headache?" Imagine if it was your child in her school. How would you help
her?
1) MZ says:
This isnt good. At the most, the school should be providing a qualified interpreter so the
deaf students can communicate with her. : /
November 25, 2010 at 4:18 pm
(2) Tami says:
While

it

is

communicate
is
have

and

bordering
an

communicate

great

the

wants

on

nurse
to

learn

violation

interpreter

for

with

students.

the

understands

of

the

to

sign,

ADA.
nurse

the

The
to

medical

need
the

issue

school

should

understand
need

to

should

and
be

one of the highest priorities for clear communication.

November 25, 2010 at 5:46 pm
(3) Hedy says:
HIRE A DEAF NURSE!!! SIMPLE and PLAIN! There are few deaf nurses out there. They
said they are frustrated with hearing nurses that reject them and thinking that they
COULD NOT be a nurse in the first place. I have seen it before.
November 26, 2010 at 2:47 am
(4) DeafPixie says:
I cannot understand why new nurse is hired? since they need nurse with ASL Fluently
instead of not familiar ASL.
She should take ASL before hire a job. I know it is impossible to be perfect hired ASL
due to allergy to aspirin due to SJ or give wrong medical name to wrong student.
whatever. I am shocked to hear about this.
Due to know about ASL with a medical vocabulary are very important to know ASL
trained nurse take classes. I cannot believe!
Kind of too dangerous. sometime mischievous kids exchanged their names. Its
happened to my deaf school few times. but now more strict with ASL fluently

(5) Aaron Whittington says:

she can take ASL class but if she cannot afford it, its better to buy a book from store and
learn on her own or surf on some ASL websitesall i know ishttp://www.amazingasl.com
November 30, 2010 at 8:29 pm
(6) Lisa says:
Tell the administrators of this school to provide an interpreter who can spend any down
time teaching the nurse. This is a lawsuit waiting to happen.
November 30, 2010 at 9:52 pm
(7) Bill says:
As the Hearing father of a Deaf child I find the whole scenario scary. My sons school
also had(Has) a similar situation. The school provides interps but are they always
available,

especially

in

an

emergency?

My wife happens to be a nurse who now after living with our son for 19 years is fluent in
sign. I have told her she should try to apply for the job. It would be interesting to see if
they would hire her over a non-signing nurse. Somehow doubt it.
December 1, 2010 at 9:27 am
(8) Richard James says:
Hold it, she is at a deaf school? Easy solution is to ask a teacher to volunteer to teach
the nurse American Sign Language. Now, for all the haters that say dump her, why not
give her a chance? No difference between this and a Deaf nurse at a hearing school.
December 2, 2010 at 9:00 am
(9) Jackie says:
I have profound hearing loss and between classes at the local deaf school and the
internet, I have learned very well the past 2 years. My right hand, is the
websitehttp://www.aslpro.com LOVE IT!
December 6, 2010 at 8:35 pm
(10) casey says:
I fully agreehire a deaf/hoh nurse, communication is the link and opens the door for all.
December 11, 2010 at 9:26 pm
(11) Gary says:
I have been Deaf, since I was ten and feel just as surely, now, as in 1972, when I first
walked onto the campus of the old Georgia School for the Deaf, that the best way for this
nurse (or anyone else, for that matter) to learn signs is to make friends,with Deaf people.
You may take a college sign language course, but, unless youre being told what youre
doing right or wrong, you wont learn.
BTW, because we were awakened at 6:00 a.m., every morning and bedtime was
anywhere from nine until ten, everybody was signing, at least, 15 hours, per day.
That, along with the fact that I already was fluent in English, made it simple for me to
learn signs and become bilingual by the time Id been at GSD for about six or seven
weeks.

This will not happen, for everyone, though. The year after I started school there, another
late-deafened kid showed up and, after eight months, he was still just beginning to learn
signs.

http://www.nursingtimes.net/deaf-people-have-unique-care-needs-that-nurses-must-understandand-help-address/1975775.article

Deaf people have unique

care needs that nurses must
understand

and

help

address
27 January, 2009 | By Hot Topic
By limiting our understanding of diversity in nursing to matters of race and religion, we risk
excluding other cultural groups, warns Arabella Sinclair-Penwarden

Issues of diversity enjoy a high profile in nursing today, from the RCNs continuing emphasis on
the importance of valuing diversity, to training in this area in both pre- and post-graduate
contexts. Defined as the state or quality of being different or varied in Collins English
Dictionary, the word has accumulated various different interpretations, not all true to the original.
I asked several colleagues what diversity meant to them. Respecting people of different races,
said one. Being aware of other peoples religions and faiths, said another. Still another
commented that it was to do with treating each patient as an individual.
These are examples of applying the term constructively and, typically of nursing, in a wholly
practical manner. Yet by restricting our definition to matters of race or creed, we risk isolating the
term

and

omitting

cultural

groups

that

fall

under

neither

heading.

When I was asked to take on the role of diversity link nurse in my department, I was intrigued by
the potential of the role. You see, there was no precedent, no shoes to fill. The role was entirely
new.
Our trust had a comprehensive policy relating to the different spiritual beliefs of patients, and I
had no desire to replicate what had been written. But I had read about Deaf culture and there
did not seem to be a great deal of awareness about it.
Deaf people are not always perceived as a specific cultural group. Indeed, there is confusion
about the terms related to an absence of hearing. What, for example, is the difference between
a patient being deaf and Deaf? Between being deafened and hard of hearing? Information is
both scarce and sparse. Terms may be used interchangeably and research can be confusing.

It is common practice to capitalise the D in Deaf when writing about the culture and the
children and adults that make up its members. The term deafened, or deaf with a small d, or
hard of hearing is frequently used to describe someone who has acquired hearing loss. This
may also be referred to as being post-lingually deaf, meaning those whose loss developed
after the acquisition of spoken language.
Anecdotally it has been noted that terms can be used inconsistently, and sometimes incorrectly,
even by healthcare workers.
Yet, when such a lack of clarity exists, it is unsurprising that confusion regarding dealing with
patients with hearing loss should follow.
The term Deaf community has demographic, linguistic, psychological and sociological
dimensions, and this is underlined by the description of sign language as a minority language.
It therefore seems wholly appropriate to include the needs of people who identify themselves as
culturally Deaf when discussing diversity issues.
As nurses and midwives we are bound by the code of conduct set down by the NMC. Thus, we
are or should be aware not only of the need to respect each person within our care as an
individual but also to be wary of discriminating against them. Yet discrimination can take many
forms. Direct discrimination is defined by the government as when a person is treated less
favourably because of, for example, their gender or race. Indirect discrimination is when a
condition that disadvantages one group more than another is applied.
By being ignorant of the discrete needs of culturally Deaf patients we risk indirectly
discriminating against our own patients, whether by not providing an interpreter when one is
required, or by assuming that a pre-lingually Deaf patient will be able to lip-read fluently.
We are not expected to be fluent in British sign language, nor to be fully au fait with the finer
nuances of Deaf culture. But, in view of a 2004 RNID statistic suggesting that 35% of Deaf and
hard of hearing people have been left unclear about their condition because of communication
problems with a GP or nurse, neither can we afford to be lackadaisical. Awareness of these
issues is the key to individualising care and that is something that we are required to do.
Arabella Sinclair-Penwarden is a newly qualified staff nurse

http://career-news.healthcallings.com/2012/10/01/nurses-needed-for-working-with-deaf/

Nurses Needed for Working With

Deaf
By Marcia Frellick | Oct 1, 2012 | Posted In Specialties

Jody Daulton, RN, BSN, learned to sign before she could talk. Both of her parents were deaf, so
communicating with deaf people was a way of life from the start.
She has been using those skills at the Ohio School for the Deaf in Columbus for 30 years, and is now the
nurse supervisor there.
Hers was not the normal path to becoming a nurse for the deaf, she says. Though most nurses who want
to work with this population have been personally touched by deafness, most dont already know sign
language when they apply for jobs, she says.
On-the-job training is common with the understanding that you must take college-level classes to reach a
certain level of proficiency by the end of your probation, typically six months to a year.

Need high in schools, nursing homes

Opportunities for working with the deaf center around schools and nursing homes. Most hospitals find it
difficult to pull a nurse trained in sign language away from her floor duties when a deaf patient is admitted.
More typically, hospitals hire outside interpreters, Daulton says.
But the need for nurses is high in schools and nursing homes for the deaf. Most states have at least one
of these public schools and there are private residential schools as well. Some combine deaf and blind
students and therefore have more positions to fill.
There are other differences from traditional nursing. You cant make phone calls to the patient or
sometimes to the parents, so texting and videophones are used for communication. IVs go in the
nondominant arm so the patient can sign more easily. Looking directly at the patient when communicating
is essential.
But its the American Sign Language (ASL) requirement that makes these positions so hard to fill. It can
take about two years for an intermediate level of skill and five years of college-level classes then using
the skills in a community to become proficient enough to do quality nursing assessments, Daulton says.
We just had a nurse job open and I had 26 applicants; after I went through the whole spiel of what was
required, it dropped down to three, she says.

Reasons nurses want to work with deaf

Some nurses come in with the attitude that they they want to help these poor people and they feel sorry
for them. Thats a turnoff for those who hire these nurses and thats offensive to deaf people, Daulton
says. Deaf people dont want to be pitied, they just want good nursing, she says.
Pay should not be a driving factor in working with the deaf either, she says. Though some states offer to
raise base pay if your job requires that you be bilingual in sign language, that percentage is small (under
her union agreement in Ohio, its 5 percent, she says) and few master ASL enough to earn the bonus pay.
There are some perks: Because many of the facilities are state-run schools, nurses traditionally get good
benefits and daytime hours, with summers, weekends and holidays off.

But the right reason to come into this field is to use a talent that very few people have mastered in a very
productive, knowledge-based way, she says. Its like home to me.
-

See

more

at:

http://career-news.healthcallings.com/2012/10/01/nurses-needed-for-working-with-

deaf/#sthash.v68HuS7v.dpuf