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Veterans Health Administration is Hiring a Health Technician (Audiology) Near Baton Rouge, LA

Qualifications:

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.

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.

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

English Language Proficiency. HTA, HTSLP or HTASLP candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403 (f).

Preferred Experience:

• One year of experience in a health care field, such as but not limited to nursing, medical assistant, or health technician.

Grade Determination HTA, GS-07 In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

Experience. Completion of one year of progressive experience and/or experience equivalent to the next lower grade level directly related to the position being filled.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
(a) Ability to mentor and train new HTAs.
(b) Ability to prepare patients for advanced testing procedures performed by the audiologist, such as evoked potentials.
(c) Ability to develop and implement the technician role for a program in a focused area of audiology.

References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/143 PART II APPENDIX G70

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7.

Physical Requirements: The duties of this position require periods of sitting, standing, walking, repeated bending (both legs required), light lifting / carrying (15-20 pounds), the use of fingers (both hands required), and reaching above the shoulder area. Patient transport occasionally requires the pushing of wheelchairs. Rapid mental, muscular, and fine motor coordination simultaneously is required. Ability to distinguish basic colors, shades of colors and long periods of reading from a monitor or computer screen (up to 8 hours). Ability to hear (hearing aid permitted). Stressful situations may occur when communicating with patients and their families who may have multiple physical, mental and psychosocial problems and needs.

Responsibilities:

Duties may include but are not limited to:

• 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, neuro diagnostic procedures)
• Patient instruction and counseling on hearing loss or hearing aids either on an individual basis or in a group setting
• Conducting hearing pass/fail screenings without interpretation; non-diagnostic otoscopy
• Cerumen management; 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; Activating remote controls
• Biologic checks and calibration of audiometric instrumentation.
• Conduct employee hearing conservation education and training.
• Knowledge of the hearing conservation program requirements to manage records and files.
• Perform otoscopic screening and pure-tone air conduction threshold testing for the purpose of hearing conservation.
• Provide Basic counseling of employees concerning test results and criteria for employee referral to hearing conservation program.
• Otoscopy and pure tone air conduction testing without interpretation for established patients in regular VA clinic.
• Other duties assigned by management.
• Provide employee hearing conservation education, training and audiologic technical support.
• Identify a threshold shift and make appropriate referrals for further testing when indicated.
• Training of employees on personal hearing protection devices. Ensuring timely and accurate documentation of all interactions in the medical records and that all encounters are correctly documented using electronic medical record and computerized tracking and ordering functions via ROES

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 629-00592-F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS):Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Job Summary