Health Technician (Hearing)
Health Technician (Hearing) combines direct patient care activities with technical support functions for the staff audiologists. These support functions are comprised of both clinical and administrative duties. Major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Perform basic audiology testing using pure tone and speech stimuli; electroacoustic analysis of hearing aids and assistive listening devices; and otoscopic screening to determine need for cerumen management on all patients coming to audiology Coordinate case flow for the staff audiologists; the custom hearing aid order process; delivery and pick up ear mold orders and other prosthetics from the prosthetic department; and airborne shipments daily and record the status of all hearing aid actions in the hearing aid logbook Inspect, clean and provide repair services to patients with defective hearing devices to include hearing aids, ear molds, FM systems, infrared systems, telephone amplifiers, and their accessories Modify ear molds and custom in-the-ear hearing aids for proper fit and for special acoustical needs of the patients Assist staff audiologist with aural rehabilitation programs; patient hearing health care education; special or complex evaluations; and research projects, in-service training and public relations programs Document all patient care activities via CPRS by way of a progress note countersigned by the responsible Audiologist Maintain inventories and orders expendable supplies for clinical use; hearing aid and assistive listening device and its database; semiannual stock hearing aid inventory; and clinical area as a safe and sanitary environment Provide follow up care for patients recently fit with hearing aids and monitor their satisfaction and success with amplification through use of various questionnaires and surveys Assist in maintenance of EIL to ensure that all equipment is located and properly recorded Provide pure tone hearing tests for employee's enrolled in the facility's hearing conservation program under the supervision of a licensed audiologist Take impression(s) of the patients' external ear canal for the purpose of fabricating ear molds and hearing aids, as requested by staff audiologist's and. processes the paperwork in conjunction with these ear mold/hearing aid orders and repairs Restore previous settings from the local server data storage to hearing aids that have been returned from repair or replaced through loss and damage Demonstrate correct reprocessing of Reusable Medical Equipment (RME) per facility SOPs and manufacturers reprocessing instructions Perform other duties as assigned by the Chief, Audiology Section or site Audiologist Program Manager, to ensure the smooth operation of the section DESIGNATED DRUG-TESTING POSITION:
Applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received. Work Schedule:
Monday to Friday; 07:
30 a.m. to 04:
00 p.m. Telework:
Not Available Virtual:
This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#:
Health Technician (Hearing)/11502A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives:
Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report:
Not required To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/07/2020. Time-In-Grade Requirement:
Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note:
Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
Specialized
Experience:
You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience for positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. Qualifying examples of specialized/technical experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
cleaning, conducting minor repairs, performing electroacoustic analysis and maintaining hearing aids and assistive listening devices; recognizing abnormalities in modifying earmolds and custom in-the-ear hearing aids; utilizing computer operations for patient care activities, database management, spreadsheet operations, and supply ordering and inventory maintenance; applying knowledge of the policies and procedures of the Audiology Program and its functional interrelation with other services, infection control and safety procedure, proper use, care, storage and calibration protocols of audiometric and other clinical equipment, and appropriate techniques for hearing screening, pure tone evaluations and tympanometry assessments; maintaining records related to patients, supplies, equipment, prostheses and clinical activities; ordering supplies and audiological prostheses, establishing and maintaining files and records; providing patient care the cognitive, emotional, and chronological maturation needs of the adult or geriatric patient; and analyzing and dealing with unexpected patient care or administrative situations and resolving problems. (This experience must be supported by your resume to be creditable.) OR, Education:
Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have six (6) months of graduate education where it is directly related to the work of the position (i.e., 9 semester hours). NOTE:
One full One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED:
If you do not submit your transcript, your application will not be reviewed.) OR, Combination:
Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses relate to the occupation. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED:
If you do not submit your transcript, your application will not be reviewed.) You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
Technical problem solving Technical practices Computer skills Interpersonal skills Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note:
A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements:
The position requires ability to stand and walk for prolonged periods. There must also be a high degree of eye-hand coordination when working with the small components associated with hearing aids and earmolds. The position also requires ability to assist or lift a patient occasionally. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https:
//www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
Estimated Salary: $20 to $28 per hour based on qualifications.
Perform basic audiology testing using pure tone and speech stimuli; electroacoustic analysis of hearing aids and assistive listening devices; and otoscopic screening to determine need for cerumen management on all patients coming to audiology Coordinate case flow for the staff audiologists; the custom hearing aid order process; delivery and pick up ear mold orders and other prosthetics from the prosthetic department; and airborne shipments daily and record the status of all hearing aid actions in the hearing aid logbook Inspect, clean and provide repair services to patients with defective hearing devices to include hearing aids, ear molds, FM systems, infrared systems, telephone amplifiers, and their accessories Modify ear molds and custom in-the-ear hearing aids for proper fit and for special acoustical needs of the patients Assist staff audiologist with aural rehabilitation programs; patient hearing health care education; special or complex evaluations; and research projects, in-service training and public relations programs Document all patient care activities via CPRS by way of a progress note countersigned by the responsible Audiologist Maintain inventories and orders expendable supplies for clinical use; hearing aid and assistive listening device and its database; semiannual stock hearing aid inventory; and clinical area as a safe and sanitary environment Provide follow up care for patients recently fit with hearing aids and monitor their satisfaction and success with amplification through use of various questionnaires and surveys Assist in maintenance of EIL to ensure that all equipment is located and properly recorded Provide pure tone hearing tests for employee's enrolled in the facility's hearing conservation program under the supervision of a licensed audiologist Take impression(s) of the patients' external ear canal for the purpose of fabricating ear molds and hearing aids, as requested by staff audiologist's and. processes the paperwork in conjunction with these ear mold/hearing aid orders and repairs Restore previous settings from the local server data storage to hearing aids that have been returned from repair or replaced through loss and damage Demonstrate correct reprocessing of Reusable Medical Equipment (RME) per facility SOPs and manufacturers reprocessing instructions Perform other duties as assigned by the Chief, Audiology Section or site Audiologist Program Manager, to ensure the smooth operation of the section DESIGNATED DRUG-TESTING POSITION:
Applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received. Work Schedule:
Monday to Friday; 07:
30 a.m. to 04:
00 p.m. Telework:
Not Available Virtual:
This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#:
Health Technician (Hearing)/11502A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives:
Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report:
Not required To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/07/2020. Time-In-Grade Requirement:
Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note:
Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
Specialized
Experience:
You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience for positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. Qualifying examples of specialized/technical experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
cleaning, conducting minor repairs, performing electroacoustic analysis and maintaining hearing aids and assistive listening devices; recognizing abnormalities in modifying earmolds and custom in-the-ear hearing aids; utilizing computer operations for patient care activities, database management, spreadsheet operations, and supply ordering and inventory maintenance; applying knowledge of the policies and procedures of the Audiology Program and its functional interrelation with other services, infection control and safety procedure, proper use, care, storage and calibration protocols of audiometric and other clinical equipment, and appropriate techniques for hearing screening, pure tone evaluations and tympanometry assessments; maintaining records related to patients, supplies, equipment, prostheses and clinical activities; ordering supplies and audiological prostheses, establishing and maintaining files and records; providing patient care the cognitive, emotional, and chronological maturation needs of the adult or geriatric patient; and analyzing and dealing with unexpected patient care or administrative situations and resolving problems. (This experience must be supported by your resume to be creditable.) OR, Education:
Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have six (6) months of graduate education where it is directly related to the work of the position (i.e., 9 semester hours). NOTE:
One full One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED:
If you do not submit your transcript, your application will not be reviewed.) OR, Combination:
Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses relate to the occupation. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED:
If you do not submit your transcript, your application will not be reviewed.) You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
Technical problem solving Technical practices Computer skills Interpersonal skills Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note:
A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements:
The position requires ability to stand and walk for prolonged periods. There must also be a high degree of eye-hand coordination when working with the small components associated with hearing aids and earmolds. The position also requires ability to assist or lift a patient occasionally. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https:
//www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
- Department:
0640 Health Aid And Technician - Salary Range:
$53,707 to $69,821 per year
Estimated Salary: $20 to $28 per hour based on qualifications.
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