Summary

This position is located in the Audiology Service of the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System. The duties and responsibilities are carried out throughout the medical center including all clinical and other patient care areas involved with the service. The audiologist at full performance level is responsible for providing audiological services to patients who reside in a large geographical area.

Qualifications

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.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• Education (1) Doctor of Audiology (AUD) from an audiology program recognized by the [Accreditation Commission for Audiology Education (ACAE) or Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
• OR (2) Other doctoral degree in hearing science or a directly related field from an institution accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education
• NOTE: Effective January 1 - 2007 - the CAA in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of ASHA accredits only doctoral degree or AUD programs in audiology
• Licensure
• Individuals must hold a full - current - and unrestricted license to practice audiology at the doctoral level in a United States state - territory - commonwealth - or the District of Columbia
• Grandfathering Provision
• All individuals employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series performing the duties described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held - including positive education and licensure
• For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements of this standard but previously met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it - the following provisions apply: (1) Audiologists may be reassigned - promoted up to and including the full performance (journeyman) level or changed to a lower grade within the occupation - but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions
• (2) Audiologists who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation
• (3) Audiologists who are appointed temporarily prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed - on a temporary or permanent basis - until they meet the basic requirements of the standard
• (4) Audiologists initially grandfathered into this occupation - who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard - must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation
• Foreign Education
• To be creditable - education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials
• Such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs
• Physical Requirements
• See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - Employee Occupational Health Service
• English Language Proficiency
• Audiologist candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f) Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining grades
• GS-11 Education
• None beyond the basic requirements
• In addition to the basic requirements - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs): (a) Knowledge of principles and techniques in the assessment and treatment of auditory and balance disorders
• (b) Ability to perform functions associated with contemporary audiology scope of practice as defined by the American Academy of Audiology or the ASHA
• (c) Ability to interact with patients - families - and other health care professionals
• Assignment
• Employees at this grade level serve in audiologist entry-level developmental positions
• Audiologists perform audiology assessment and treatment intervention - exercise clinical judgment - adapt clinical procedures and techniques - and document in the medical record appropriate information related to patient care
• GS-12 Experience
• In addition to the requirements at the GS-11 level - completion of one year of professional experience comparable to the next lower grade level
• In addition to the KSAs required at the full performance level - the following KSAs are required: (a) Skill in determining nature - type - and severity of hearing/communication/vestibular disorders
• (b) Skill in counseling patients and family members regarding management of hearing/communication/vestibular disorders (c) Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional audiology to other health care professionals
• (d) Ability to independently apply professional contemporary audiologic treatments to the full range of patient populations
• Assignment
• This is the full performance level for staff audiologists
• At this level - Audiologists are licensed to practice independently in the provision of audiologic services - consulting with peers and supervisors as appropriate
• Audiologists serve as consultants to other health care professionals and are recognized subject matter experts (SME) on matters related to hearing - tinnitus - and balance disorders
• The supervisor may assign staff audiologists to any VHA program and setting - such as inpatient or outpatient medicine - primary care - surgery - hearing health - neurology - rehabilitation medicine - geriatrics - compensation - and pension
• Audiologists diagnose audiologic disorders - conduct audiologic - or neuro-audiologic assessments
• treat auditory disorders through various modalities
• and provide adjunctive interventions for the treatment of medical disorders
• Audiologists consult with medical center staff on various patient care issues
• Staff audiologists may be involved in program evaluation - teaching - training - and research activities
• Among the modalities provided are individual - family - and group audiologic rehabilitation
• Preferred Experience: Knowledge of principles and techniques in the assessment and treatment of auditory and balance disorders
• Ability to perform functions associated with contemporary audiology scope of practice
• Knowledge of clinical services - and the ability to perform them independently
• Knowledge and application in basic computer programs such as Outlook - Word - Excel - etc
• Reference: VA HANDBOOK 5005/167 - PART II - APPENDIX G29
• AUDIOLOGIST QUALIFICATION STANDARD - GS-0665 - VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION - March 18 - 2024
• For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS 12
• Physical Requirements: The incumbent's work is moderate
• Heavy lifting (45 lbs
• and over)
• Moderate Carrying (15-44 lbs.)
• Straight Pulling - Pushing - reaching above shoulder - Walking (up to 3 hours)
• Standing (up to 3 hours)
• Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously
• Near vision correctable at 13" to 16"
• Both eyes required
• Depth perception
• Ability to distinguish basic colors
• Ability to distinguish shades of color
• Hearing aid (permitted)
• May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Duties

• Major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to the following: Perform otoscopic examination and cerumen removal Perform behavioral and electrophysiologic assessments to diagnose hearing and balance disorders- Identify - evaluate - diagnose - manage - treat disorders of human hearing - balance - tinnitus - and other disorders
• Independently perform accurate compensation and pension examinations of the auditory/vestibular system
• Perform comprehensive and complete audiological evaluations and special audiological procedures (Acoustic Reflex and decay - Otoacoustic Emissions - and Middle Ear Impedance - etc.) to assist the Otolaryngologist or Neurologist in the differential diagnosis of auditory and vestibular disorders or disease entities
• Identify and evaluate abilities of reception and perception of speech - language - and other acoustic signals: peripheral and central auditory disfunctions
• and evaluate the type and degree of hearing loss for normal hearing - individuals with hearing disorders - and patients who are normally unable to provide consistent and reliable responses to diagnostics
• Administer the full range of tests within an Audiologist's scope of practice to include but not limited to audiometric assessments - electro-physiologic tests - vestibular assessments - tinnitus assessments - auditory processing assessments - cochlear implant assessments and ototoxic assessments in person or via telehealth services as required
• Provide comprehensive rehabilitation programs for aural rehabilitation - tinnitus rehabilitation - and vestibular rehabilitation to patients when this type of clinical management is indicated
• Treat hearing disorders through a variety of modalities and provide adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders
• Makes appropriate medical referral
• Administers aural rehabilitation
• Select and dispense tinnitus maskers and devices
• referral to or conducting tinnitus education or PTM class as part of a comprehensive tinnitus rehabilitation program
• Administer vestibular rehabilitation with treatments such as canolith repositioning techniques and other balance rehabilitation strategies
• Responsible for direct services of a remedial and sometimes preventative nature which encompass hearing conservation for employees - DAV drivers - and patients
• make recommendations for use of hearing protection and the issuance of ear defenders for prevention of acoustic trauma for those individuals working in a noisy environment or have been exposed to ototoxic substances
• counsels on hearing conservation techniques for ototoxic and noise exposed patients and sometimes may make a recommendation for change of job in those cases where hearing loss is progressing due to high noise level exposure
• Precepting student trainees in audiology
• Participate in research activities and/or quality improvement projects pertinent to clinical audiology
• Responsible for the proper maintenance - infection control needs - and calibration of the specialized instrumentation utilized in the assessment of the auditory vestibular system
• Determines the appropriateness of amplification devices and systems such as hearing aids - sensory aids - hearing assistive devices - alerting and telecommunication systems - and caption devices for Veterans with hearing impairment taking into consideration physical - acoustic - cosmetic - situational - and contextual factors Selecting - evaluating - fitting - and programming amplification devices and systems customize to the individual needs of Veterans
• verifying the effectiveness of such devices or systems
• counseling and training Veterans in the use of amplification devices and systems and determining the benefit of amplification devices and systems
• Determining candidacy based on hearing and communication information for auditory implants Evaluate and provide treatment and management for Veterans with tinnitus using techniques that include but are not limited to educational counseling - biofeedback - masking - sound therapy - hearing aids - directed counseling - and combined methods Measuring functional outcomes - consumer satisfaction - effectiveness - efficiency and cost-benefit of practices and programs to maintain and improve the quality of audiology services Participating in education and administration of audiology graduate and professional education programs including education - mentoring - and supervision of associated health trainees Training - supervising - and managing health technicians and other support personnel Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday or Tuesday thru Saturday 7:30am - 4: 00 pm 4-10s may be possible Telework: Not Available Functional Statement #: 593-00250-F: GS-12
• 593-00249-F: GS-11
• Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized