Detailed job description and main responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

A practicing healthcare practitioner, who contributes towards provision of a comprehensive Audiology Service.
Assists the Audiology Manager in the daily clinical work of the department and is responsible for managing their own workload without direct supervision.
This involves basic rehabilitative care, diagnostic assessments of hearing, and care for adult hearing aid users, children over 5 years of age, and their carers/relatives.
Demonstrates effective communication and interpersonal skills with other professionals and service users, including patients, carers and relatives.
Takes part in contributing to service development and maintains professional standards.
Maintains patient and departmental records both written and electronic using computer databases and word processing.
Provides clinical assessments and hearing aid programming and provision using complex computer software and specific specialised hardware.
Assists in one or more of the specialist areas of Audiology service provision.
The Audiology Practitioner must be registered with the RCCP.
DIMENSIONS:
Operational: Assessments and clinical tests on adults and children over 5 years of age.
Provision of hearing aids to adults and children with hearing disability.
Communications: Communicating and receiving complex and factual information to patients, carers, colleagues and other professionals
Communicating Audiological information to other relevant professionals including Ear Nose and Throat Doctors, Nursing staff, Teachers of the Deaf and support staff.
Uses tact, sensitivity, persuasion and reassurance where barriers to communication may be hearing loss, visual impairment, dementia, stroke/aphasia, and English as a second language.
Ability to deal with verbally aggressive, or hostile clients, and know when to seek support.

MAIN DUTIES

Clinical:
1. Assists the Audiology Manager in the provision of specific clinical
work on a daily basis, ensuring and efficient and effective service within
clinical governance guidelines.

Follows professional standards and protocols without direct supervision.
Contact with clients within hospital clinical settings, community clinical settings, patients own home and nursing homes on domiciliary visits.

2. To perform and analyse diagnostic assessments of hearing on
adults and children over 5 years of age.
Using air conduction headphones and bone conduction vibrator to obtain
accurate hearing threshold levels using masking where appropriate, and
following BSA guidelines. Instructing the patient on what is required of them to perform the test including the use of tact and persuasion where barriers to understanding exist. Requiring frequent use of keyboard whilst sitting in a restricted position.
Perform middle ear analysis using tympanometry, including probe microphone insertion to determine the function of the middle ear. As part of the test battery for further management of medical conditions. 

Perform examination of the ear using clinical Otoscope in order to identify
healthy and abnormal ear conditions. Recognising contra-indications to
performing further procedures and appropriate referral to other professionals
(ENT, GP, Specialist ENT Nurse) for management where required.
3. Selection, Verification and Programming (subjective and objective) of
hearing aids:
Using assessment results to select and programme appropriate hearing aids using specific computer software and hardware tools.
Assess patient’s individual, physical abilities and social needs in choice of aid and programmes.
Verify the hearing aid programming using subjective (free field and verbal
assessment) and objective ‘Real Ear Measurement’ techniques involving insertion of probe tube microphone into the ear canal. Making adjustments to prescription of hearing aid as appropriate. Involves fine manual dexterity and care, requiring prolonged concentration.
4. Rehabilitation and counselling:
Instructing patient on effective use of aid, communicating realistic expectations, advice on the disabling effects of hearing loss. Using basic directive counselling and empathic skills to empower the patient in their rehabilitation and management of hearing loss.

Formulating individualised care plans.
Using effective communication and persuasion where a poor motivational attitude to hearing loss may exist and barriers to understanding and communication may include hearing loss, visual impairment (including deaf-blind clients), dementia and stroke patients with aphasia.
Liaise with nursing and residential homes and give advice and presentations to staff and residents to ensure all hearing impaired residents are given an informed and quality service in regard to their communication needs.
5. Audit and outcome measures:
Audit the benefit of hearing aid use and patient satisfaction using nationally
recognised benefit profiles and questionnaires. Input the information into software packages.
Using the outcome measures for further rehabilitation measures.
6. To participate in the open access hearing aid repair sessions. This
entails:
Dealing with maintenance and replacement of faulty hearing aids, supply of
batteries, re-tubing of earmoulds.
Dealing with queries and problems presented by patients and carers and
referring them to the appropriate professional if required.
To provide this service to inpatients on wards and at outside clinics where
transport of equipment to carry out these duties is required. Occasionally this will require working in less than ideal conditions. 

7. Modification of earmoulds for patients using appropriate equipment (with training) including dental drill, buffer/grinder and safety equipment, to ensure comfortable and acoustically viable fit.
For adults and children over 5 years with all types of hearing aid, requiring skill, dexterity and judgement when working to finer tolerances.
8. To take accurate and safe impressions of the ear:

On adults and children over 5 years of age.
Taking impression of the ear following professional recommended procedures (BSA) by placing foam otostop into ear canal, then syringing impression material into the canal to form an accurate impression for processing by the earmould manufacturer.
Determine the type, material and any modifications required for earmoulds,
swim moulds and other types of earpiece required (e.g. ear defenders).
9. Assist in one or more of the following specialist areas:
Vestibular clinics; assessment of balance disorders using computer specific software and hardware to inform of Vestibular function. Includes Electronystagmography and caloric irrigation of the ears using water.
Group Instruction sessions: provides rehabilitation and instruction of aid use to groups of up to 8 patients attending with carers/relatives.
Supervision and training of Assistant Audiology Practitioners, clinical placement students and work experience students.
10. Demonstrating effective interpersonal skills when dealing with staff,
patients, relatives and the public in person, on the telephone and in
writing.
11. Administrative duties will include:
Maintenance of accurate and efficient patient records both paper and computer databases.
Records clinical test results and observations onto electronic patient database and hospital patient management system.
To assist in maintaining accurate and efficient records of all technical services, including computer databases and stock control functions.