How should the practical nurse (PN) address a client with difficulty hearing during medication administration?

When addressing a client with difficulty hearing during medication administration, ensuring the client is wearing their hearing aid, if applicable, is a vital step. This approach directly enhances the client’s ability to receive auditory information clearly, facilitating better communication and comprehension. Effective communication is essential in nursing, especially when discussing medication details that could impact the client's health and safety.

By making sure the hearing aid is functioning properly and in use, the practical nurse can ensure the client has the best chance of understanding important instructions, thereby reducing the risk of medication errors or misunderstandings related to their treatment. This method emphasizes a person-centered care approach, recognizing the individual needs of the client regarding their hearing abilities.

Other methods, such as raising one’s voice significantly, may not be effective and could even distort the sound, while writing down instructions or repeating them multiple times might be useful but are secondary to first ensuring the client can hear properly.