Alayna DeMartini, staff writer, at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center reported this story.
“Although she’s been deaf all her life,
King reads lips well. She, her interpreter and sometimes her co-workers wear
face masks that have clear plastic around the mouth so King can still read
their lips. Her digital stethoscope connects via Bluetooth to her cochlear implant, which lets her hear her patient’s
heartbeat.”
“When she was in college and considering
careers, King shadowed a deaf doctor. She was intrigued with the profession,
but she wanted to spend all her time taking care of people. Nursing seemed a
better fit.”
“One of her role models growing up was a
family friend who was a lawyer and also deaf. If he could be successful in a
job that required a lot of communication, why couldn’t she, she figured.”
“Being admitted to the nursing program at
Capital University in Bexley, where she grew up, King knew she’d have to work
hard — harder than many of her classmates — to finish the degree and go on in
the field.”
Eventually, King plans to return to school to become
a nurse
practitioner and work at a family practice that serves primarily deaf
people.
She’s hoping more deaf people join her in the medical
field. She wants them to know that being deaf, even profoundly deaf, doesn’t
have to limit their career choices. It hasn’t limited hers.
Read more about this trailblazing nurse at:
Determination
leads deaf nurse to role in the ICU | Ohio State Health & Discovery
(osu.edu)
Cheers!
Donna