An older patient asks a nurse, My doctor referred me to a hearing ...

[itsmyluck]

An older patient asks a nurse, My doctor referred me to a hearing specialist who thinks that surgery for a cochlear implant may be beneficial for me. Can you tell me how one of those things works?
 
  The nurse formulates a response based on the knowledge that:
  a. a cochlear implant is permanent, surgical-ly-implanted hearing aid.
  b. a cochlear implant speeds up the conduc-tion of sound to the auditory nerve.
  c. a cochlear implant functions as an artificial auditory nerve.
  d. a cochlear implant directly stimulates the auditory nerve.

Question 2

A nurse in an assisted living community notes that one of the residents who has hearing impair-ment and new bilateral hearing aids frequently does not wear the hearing aids.
 
  The nurse knows that which of the following factors contribute to low hearing aid use after pur-chase? (Select all that apply.)
  a. Difficulty placing hearing aid properly in the ear
  b. Stigma associated with wearing a hearing aid
  c. Difficulty changing the batteries in the hearing aid
  d. Ineffectiveness of hearing aids for indi-viduals with age-related hearing loss
  e. Hearing annoying loud noises

[TINA]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: D
A cochlear implant bypasses damaged portions of the ear and directly stimulates the auditory nerve.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: A, B, C, E
Options A, B, C, and E are all factors associated with low use after purchase. Option D is incor-rect; most individuals with age-related hearing loss do experience some hearing enhancement with hearing aid use.