A 70-year-old patient tells the nurse that it has been difficult to hear lately. What action should the nurse take?
a. Ask how loudly the television volume is set.
b. Ask the patient the date of his or her last hearing test.
c. Teach the patient several easy sign language words.
d. Check the patient's ears for the presence of increased cerumen.
ANS: D
Conduction sound loss can be due to blockage of sound transmission to the middle ear from earwax buildup, so it is important that the nurse check this first. Determining what volume level is required for the television or when the last hearing test was done may be helpful data eventually but are not the priority action to take now. Teaching a few simple sign language words will not fully address the patient's or family's needs, as family members may not know sign language.
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