Tufts Medical Center · Newborn Hearing Screening Technician

Completed Newborn Hearing Screens Despite Tight Discharge Windows

As a Newborn Hearing Screening Technician at Tufts Medical Center, I'm responsible for testing anywhere from 2 to 14 newborns per shift before they leave the hospital. Each screen requires the baby to be calm or asleep, not eating, and not in the middle of any other test, which makes timing tricky when nurses, doctors, and parents all have their own schedules to work around. Fluid left over from birth can interfere with results, and babies are sometimes discharged earlier than expected, so I often have very little room to get a valid screen in. When a baby isn't cooperating or keeps failing due to fluid, I'll move on to other newborns on my list and circle back to them later in my shift once they've settled or the fluid has cleared, rather than giving up after one attempt. This approach lets me complete screening for most babies on my list on any given shift, even when volume is high. Some still fail and need a follow-up retest after discharge, but keeping track of who needs a second attempt and working them back in before my shift ends means the majority leave the hospital with a completed, valid hearing screen on record.