Introduction:

Occupational hearing loss is a slow motion occupational accident. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention notes that 22 million American workers are exposed on hazardous noise on the job. Hearing loss can create safety risks and impact the quality of the life of the workers. Noise induced hearing loss is totally preventable. This module will give occupational health nurses an understanding of noise induced hearing loss and hearing conservation programs so that they can protect the workers by championing and setting up hearing conservation programs.

This module is part of the 19-module OHN Prep Course Package.

Learning Objectives:

● Understand basic noise concepts and ear anatomy

● Identify the difference between conductive and sensorineural hearing loss

● Identify key elements of noise induced hearing loss

● Define some basic occupational hearing concepts

● Describe the components of a hearing conservation program

Major Takeaways:

● Occupational health nurses need to be knowledgeable about noise induced hearing loss and hearing conservation programs so that they will recognize the need for hearing conservation and champion a hearing conservation program.

● Setting up a hearing conservation program is a team effort and an occupational health nurse is uniquely trained to help bring all the players together.

● There are many easily accessible detailed resources available to an occupational health nurse to assist in setting up a Hearing Conservation Program.

Lecturer:

• Lori Szczukowski, BSN, MD,  practiced medicine for  more than 34 years. During her career, she practiced internal medicine for 15 years. Then, 19 years of her career were spent working in occupational medicine. During that times, she helped establish and run hearing conservation programs.
  

The University of Colorado College of Nursing is approved as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the Colorado Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. A maximum of 1 contact hour is available for this course. For questions about contact hours, please email nursingce@ucdenver.edu.

This course covers topics outlined in the ABOHN Candidate Handbooks for COHN and COHN-S.

Criteria for Successful Completion: You must fully complete this module and all assessment questions, along with the OHN Prep module survey.

Conflicts of Interest: No individuals in a position to control content for this activity has any relevant financial relationships to declare.

Commercial Support: There is no commercial support being received for this event.

Expiration date for Enduring Materials: Origination Date: May 1, 2020 through Expiration Date: May 1, 2022

Joint Providers: This activity is being jointly provided by the University of Colorado College of Nursing Office of Continuing Education, The Center for Health, Work & Environment at the Colorado School of Public Health and The Johns Hopkins Education and Research Center for Occupational Safety and Health at the Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The Center for Health, Work & Environment at the Colorado School of Public Health has partnered with the The Johns Hopkins Education and Research Center for Occupational Safety and Health at the Bloomberg School of Public Health to deliver continuing education to occupational health nurses.