Health Technician; Audiology

Summary

The Health Technician - Audiology (HTA) FLOAT position is located in the Audiology and Speech Pathology Service at the Viera VA Clinic. The incumbent is assigned to a primary duty station but will routinely cover at other sites in accordance with facility policy. The health technician supports the function of clinical programs in Audiology. The incumbent is a staff health technician (Audiology float) under the supervision of a GS-12 audiologist or above.

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

• Citizenship
• Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.)
• Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a)
• English Language Proficiency
• Health Technician (HIS) candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• Experience and Education
• Experience
• Completion of the Department of Labor Apprenticeship Program for Hearing Aid Specialists
• OR - Education
• Successful completion of two academic years above high school that includes coursework related to the field: hearing science - human anatomy and physiology - hearing instrument science - gerontology - psychology or other general healthcare areas
• Foreign Education
• To be creditable - education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs Certification
• Certification by the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC) as a Certified Occupational Hearing Conservationist (COHC) is required for this assignment
• Loss of Credential
• An employee in this occupation who fails to maintain the required certification identified for the HTA - GS-08 position will be removed from the assignment - which may also result in termination of employment
• GRADE DETERMINATIONS Health Technician (Audiology) - GS-8 Experience
• Completion of one year of progressive experience and/or experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-7) directly related to the position being filled
• Certification
• CAOHC certification as a COHC is required
• Demonstrated Knowledge
  - Skills and Abilities
  
  (KSAs)
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  Ability to conduct employee hearing conservation education and training
• Knowledge of the hearing conservation program requirements to manage records and files
• Ability to perform pure tone air conduction testing
• Ability to provide audio logic technical support to the employee hearing conservation program
• Ability to identify a threshold shift and make appropriate referrals for further testing when indicated
• Reference
• For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). Standards/
• Physical Requirements
• Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation - see Duties section for essential job duties of the position
• May require standing - lifting - carrying - sitting - stooping - bending - pulling - and pushing
• May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment
• Work Environment
• Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions
• the area is adequately lighted - heated - and ventilated
• However - the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.

• Support functions of the Health Technician (HT) include both direct patient care and administrative duties
• Direct patient care duties may include - but are not limited to the following:
  Greeting and escorting patients
• Triaging patients to an audiologist based on complexity of the procedures being completed
• Patient set up for procedures (e.g.
  
  - vestibular - neurodiagnostic procedures)
• Patient instruction and counseling on hearing loss - hearing protection - or hearing aids either on an individual basis or in a group setting
• Conducting hearing Puretone air-conduction testing without interpretation for the purpose of hearing conservation and for established patients in regular VA clinic
• Immittance screening without interpretation
• Non-diagnostic otoscopy
• Taking earmold impressions
• Hearing aid troubleshooting and repair
• Providing basic hearing aid information for patients and caregivers
• Performing listening checks on hearing aids
• Electroacoustic analysis of devices
• Pairing hearing aids and accessories via Bluetooth technology
• Programming previously stored settings into hearing aids
• completing adjustments to hearing aid settings as outlined specifically in the audiologist's plan of care - Activating remote controls
• and Training of…