Audiologist - Otolaryngology

General Description: The audiologist is responsible for evaluating, treating and counseling with the pediatric, adult, or geriatric patient with hearing and/or balance disorders in accordance with professional, departmental and corporate standards. They model appropriate behavior as exemplified in the department and corporate value system, and demonstrate behavior that supports the operation mission, which reflects a commitment to total quality improvement.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Conducts hearing and balance evaluations for inpatients and outpatients, including neonates, pediatric patients, adolescents, adults and geriatric patients.
• Accesses the history, medical diagnosis, social and communicative condition of the patient through testing and interview to establish a basis for patient treatment (type of services).
• Generates written communications for treating physicians that are timely, clear, and succinct.
• Provides all services with a caring, empathetic manner, holding to the highest professional, ethical and legal standards.
• Determines patient's perceptual and communicative needs and formulates, implements, and measures the efficacy of an audiologic rehabilitation treatment plan (type II service).
• Interprets the results of hearing and balance evaluation dat within the context of the patient's perceptual social and communicative needs; identifies deficit areas and communicates the information clearly to the patient as the first step in rehabilitation.
• Together with the patient and significant others, develops a rational treatment and monitoring plan, including the use of amplification assistive listening devices, aural rehabilitation, medical management, and counseling as indicated.
• Monitors treatment effectiveness and modifies treatment plan when necessary for optimal treatment outcomes.
• Develops and asses impact of family-based education to facilitate carryover of new skills into everyday environments.
• Together with other audiology staff members, develops methods to identify hearing impaired patients in the hospital and community and facilitates community awareness of hearing impairment and its' management (Type III Services).
• Develops and maintains data management systems to facilitate efficient follow-up of at-risk patients.
• Presents information within the community to promote awareness of hearing impairments and its' management.
• Participates in studies designed to assess the effectiveness of hearing screening programs as needed.
• Participates in new methods and systems to promote hearing health care within the hospital and community.
• Provides management of the newborn hearing screen program for OU Health.
• Promotes professional practice of all members of the departmental care team.
• Participates in quality monitoring and evaluation activities and implements measures to ensure that quality standards are met for AAHC and those set forward by the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, OUHSC, and OU Physicians.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education: Doctorate in Audiology from an accredited college/university required.

Experience: None.

License(s)/Certification(s)/Registration Required:

• Active License from the Oklahoma Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
• Certificate of Clinical Competence from ASHA

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Provides a professional atmosphere by demonstrating a professional demeanor in the work unit and in any affiliated facility.
• Has expertise in at least two of the following areas and provides in-service in the same: infant and pediatric audiology, diagnostic audiology, forensic and occupational audiology, amplification and rehabilitation, balance and spatial orientation.
• Understands otologic and neurologic diagnostic processes well enough to obtain audiologic information that will help the physician distinguish between competing etiological entities in a given patient.
• Understands the theory behind established clinical protocols and can modify diagnostic procedures to meet the needs of the patient/customer without sacrificing test reliability or validity.
• Demonstrates knowledge of current amplification technologies, fitting practices, and validation procedures for both the pediatric and adult populations.
• Use basic and advanced diagnosis technologies to screen the hearing of at-risk populations.
• Supports the team concept among all staff; participates in the mutual problem solving to achieve positive outcomes and improve quality of services, documents incidents of critical nature; a participates in departmental meetings.
• Demonstrates initiative identifying opportunities for self- development and enhancement of professional competency though self-study, on-the-job training, and attending processional meetings.
• Demonstrates effective customer relations skills, promotes a positive work environment, and contributes to the overall team effort.
• Takes responsibility for problems, questions, or issues and makes effort to solve or get someone who can, rather than passing on the problem.
• Identifies barriers to efficiency and effectiveness in own job, department or other areas and suggests ways to improve.
• Promotes cooperation and team work among co-workers.
• Takes initiative to coach fellow associates to appreciate and demonstrate customer-focused behaviors.