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A nurse-managed universal newborn hearing screen program
1Central Du-Page Hospital, Winfield, IL, USA. rita_brennan@cdh.org
Insights
Early identification of childhood hearing loss is crucial. Universal newborn hearing screening programs, implemented by nursing in collaboration with medical professionals, can lead to early intervention and improved developmental outcomes for affected children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Audiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Hearing loss is a common birth defect impacting child development.
- Current identification ages for hearing loss in the US are significantly delayed.
- Early intervention before 6 months is critical for comparable developmental outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the development of an institutional universal newborn hearing screening program.
- To highlight the collaborative efforts between nursing and medical specialists.
- To present outcomes of the implemented screening program.
Main Methods:
- A multidisciplinary team including nursing, physicians, audiologists, and otolaryngologists was formed.
- Program development involved literature review, hospital networking, and expert consultation.
- Universal hearing screening was implemented for all newborns before hospital discharge.
Main Results:
- The developed program demonstrated successful implementation of universal newborn hearing screening.
- Outcomes from the institutional program compare favorably with national data.
- The collaborative nursing-led initiative effectively addressed screening delays.
Conclusions:
- Universal newborn hearing screening programs are vital for early detection of hearing loss.
- Nursing-led, collaborative initiatives can successfully establish and run screening programs.
- Early identification and intervention significantly improve long-term outcomes for children with hearing loss.
Abstract:
Hearing loss is one of the most common major birth defects, yet the average age for identifying significant hearing loss in children in the United States is 30 months. Hearing loss directly affects a child's ability to develop normal language skills, impairs his or her ability to communicate with others in the environment, and has been shown to correlate with poor academic performance. However, if hearing loss is detected early and interventions are begun before 6 months of age, children with hearing loss develop language, cognitive, and speech skills comparable to their non-hearing-impaired peers. Only 38 states mandate universal newborn hearing screening before discharge from the hospital. This article describes an institutional universal hearing screening program developed by nursing, which collaborated with physicians, audiologists, and otolaryngologists. Careful planning, including a thorough literature review, networking with area hospitals, and dialoging with experts in the field led to a successful program.The outcomes from this program compare favorably to nationally published data.
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