TEACH FOR NURSES LESSON PLAN
Chapter 16: Ears
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
1. List the anatomic landmarks of the external ear.
2. Describe the tympanic membrane and its anatomic landmarks.
3. List the functions of the middle ear.
STUDENT RESOURCES
understand
• Textbook Chapter 16
• Sherpath for Medical-Surgical Nursing*
• Animations (Evolve website)
• Answer Keys: Study Guide & Lab Manual
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apply
• Case Studies (Evolve)
synthesize
• SimChart*
• Simulation Learning System*
INSTRUCTOR RESOURCES
before class
• Nursing Curriculum Standards (below)
in class
• PowerPoint Presentations (Evolve)
after class
• Test Bank (Evolve)
• HESI Practice Tests*
* Sold separately from textbook.
TEACHING STRATEGIES
Content Focus
Content Highlights
Learning Activities
EXTERNAL EAR
MIDDLE EAR
Bring in an ear anatomy
model to explain the
external ear, ear canal,
• Activity: Obtain a diagram of the ear and have the students label the structures.
• Small Group activity: Assign student groups to investigate the auditory system and have them relate
to the class the functions of the three levels with a model.
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TEACHING STRATEGIES
Content Focus
Content Highlights
Learning Activities
Infants and Children
The Adult
Demonstrate and discuss
how to assess the
functions of the inner ear.
Review the inner ear
development during
gestation. Compare the
inner ear layout of infants
to that of adults.
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TEACHING STRATEGIES
Content Focus
Content Highlights
Learning Activities
Mention the predisposing
genetic and environmental
factors in otitis media. Ask
students how many of the
factors apply to them or to
INSPECT AND PALPATE
THE EXTERNAL EAR
Size and Shape
Skin Condition
Tenderness
cotton ear swab.
Talk about the risk of
hearing deficit in children
exposed to certain
diseases.
Discuss the many different
sizes and shapes of ears.
• Discussion Topic: Discuss examination modifications needed for patients at various developmental
stages.
• Documentation Activity: Instruct students to document the results of the previous examinations.
• Small Group Activity: If students from various ethnic groups are in the class, encourage students to
examine one another’s ears to learn the variations in cerumen that may occur among individuals.
• Discussion Topic: Discuss intrauterine exposures that may affect hearing.
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TEACHING STRATEGIES
Content Focus
Content Highlights
Learning Activities
Whispered Voice Test
The Aging Adult
volunteer, use the
techniques and equipment
Bring in an audiometer to
demonstrate on a
volunteer. Perform several
whispered voice tests on
the students, allowing
them to be both nurse and
patient. Ask an audiologist
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TEACHING STRATEGIES
Content Focus
Content Highlights
Learning Activities
the students to Chapter
24.
Use Figure 16.12 to
illustrate ear position for
children for an exam.
Review the behavioral
manifestations of hearing
loss in children.
batteries.
IN-CLASS/ONLINE CASE STUDY
P.P. is a 4-year-old boy who presents to the pediatrician’s office with pain in his right ear.
Subjective Data
Mom states that her son woke up in the middle of the night, crying, 2 nights ago. She gave the child ibuprofen, and he went back to sleep. Last
night he woke up in pain, and he was inconsolable. She felt the physician should see him.
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Objective Data
TM appears inflamed—it is red and may be bulging and immobile
T = 100.3
Last ibuprofen 3 hours ago
Questions
1. What other assessments should be included for this patient?
2. What questions are appropriate for a patient presenting with earache?
3. What risk factors are associated with earaches for this age group?
4. From the readings, what is the difference between otitis media and otitis externa?
5. From the readings, what is the most probable cause of the earache in this patient?
6. What are three nursing diagnoses?
7. What interventions should be included in the nursing care plan?
Answers
1. A full assessment of the HEENT is necessary to determine the cause of the earache. A focused assessment of the ear and underlying
3. Patients with earache are at risk for otitis media with effusion (OME), an inflammation of the middle ear space resulting in accumulation of
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NURSING CURRICULUM STANDARDS
QSEN/NLN COMPETENCIES
• Patient-Centered Care/Human Flourishing
o Culture and Genetics
o Infants and Young Children
NURSING CONCEPTS
The following conceptual themes and specific concepts match those presented in Giddens, J. F. (2017). Concepts for nursing practice (2nd ed.).
St. Louis: Elsevier. The specific exemplars chosen and listed below for each concept have been tailored specifically to correspond to the Jarvis
textbook.
A full Concept-Based Curriculum Map covering the entire book can be found in the “Download by Resource Type” folder on Evolve.
THEME: Attributes and Resources
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o Exemplar: Hearing
BSN ESSENTIALS
• Essential III: Scholarship for Evidence-Based Practice
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS IN THE STUDY GUIDE
Note: Answers to these questions can be found on Evolve site. Click here.