Health Technician (Audiology)

Description:

This position is located in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service (PRMS) Service, Audiology section of the North Florida/South Georgia VHS. The duties and responsibilities are carried out in all clinical and other patient care areas involved with the Audiology service. The health technician supports the function of the clinical programs in Audiology.

Requirements:

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.
• English Language Proficiency. HTA candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403 (f).
• Experience and Education.
  • Experience. Six months of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled. OR
  • Education. Successful completion of two academic years above high school leading to an associate degree or a bachelor's degree with at least 12 semester hours in courses related to the position. OR
  • Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. An example of a combination of experience/education is three months of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled and one year above high school with a minimum of 6 semester hours related to the health care industry.
• Certification. Certification by the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC) as a Certified Occupational Hearing Conservationist (COHC) is accepted however, it is not required for HTAs at the GS-7 level.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation. (Only applicable to current Veterans Health Administration employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria.)

GRADE DETERMINATIONS : In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

HTA, GS-07

• Experience: Candidates must have completed one year of progressive experience and/or experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-06) directly related to the position being filled. The knowledge, skills, and abilities at the GS-06 grade level are:
  • Knowledge of normal and abnormal ear anatomy.
  • Knowledge of hearing physiology and function to educate patients and families.
  • Knowledge of hearing aids, hearing assistive technology, hearing aid manufacturers and manufacturer software.
  • Ability to solve problems or make decisions regarding hearing aid, hearing assistive technology and patient care, consistent with the documented and co-signed plan of care under the supervision of an audiologist.
  • Ability to prepare patients for testing procedures.
  • Ability to document and code patient procedures.

While we no longer require essay-style responses to our Knowledge's Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics (KSAOs), you must be able to demonstrate that you possess the (below) competencies which are necessary to perform the work of the position. Please ensure your resume/CV/application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience/education/training; otherwise, we will not be able to award you credit for the experience/education/training you claim. These are the KSA's for this subject position:

1. Ability to mentor and train new HTAs.
2. Ability to prepare patients for advanced testing procedures performed by the audiologist, such as evoked potentials.
3. Ability to develop and implement the technician role for a program in a focused area of audiology.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/ .

Preferred Experience: Audiology experience.

Physical Requirements: Light lifting, under 15 pounds; Light carrying, under 15 pounds; Walking (6 hours); Standing (6 hours); Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; both eyes required; depth perception; Hearing (aid permitted); Use of fingers; Both hands required.