Audiologist

Description:

This position will be under the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMRS) Service at the Hampton VA Medical Center. The clinical duties and responsibilities and administrative duties are carried out within the Hampton VA Medical Center and its CBOC and HCC locations. The incumbent is an Audiologist and provides for the essential functions such as ensuring timely and appropriate consult management, treatment.

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.
• Education. Master's degree or its equivalent in audiology or hearing science from an accredited college or university is required. ["Accredited" means a college or university accredited by a regional accreditation organization and an audiology program recognized by the Accreditation Commission for Audiology Education (ACAE) and/or the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).]

NOTE: [Effective] January 1, 2007, the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of ASHA [accredits] only doctoral degree programs in audiology or hearing science.

Licensure. For those grades that require licensure (GS-12 and above), the incumbent must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license in a State, Territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia.

Creditable Experience:

Knowledge of Contemporary Professional Audiology Practice . To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics associated with contemporary professional audiology practice. This knowledge may be evidenced by one or more of the following:

(a) At least 1 year of active professional practice or its equivalent. Active professional practice means paid or non-paid employment as a professional audiologist engaged in the practice of audiology as defined by the appropriate licensing board.
(b) Academic course work leading to a doctoral degree in audiology or hearing science.

Quality of Experience: Experience is only creditable if it is both of the following:

(a) Work as a professional audiologist directly related to the position to be filled; and
(b) At a level comparable to audiology experience at the next lower grade level.

Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as a professional audiologist is credited according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, an audiologist would receive 1 week of full-time credit for each 2 weeks of half-time work. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA 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 grades.

GS-11

Education and Experience . Completion of 1 year of professional experience as an audiologist equivalent to the next lower level; or 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a doctoral degree; or doctoral degree in audiology, hearing science, or a directly related field. For positions involved in research audiologist assignments involving no direct patient care, no additional education or professional experience is required beyond those identified at the GS-9 level. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the [knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs).

The following KSAs are required:

• Knowledge of contemporary audiology practice;
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing;
• Knowledge of anatomy, physiology, acoustics, applied acoustics, communication, psychoacoustics, and auditory/vestibular pathophysiology;
• Knowledge of principles and techniques in the assessment and treatment of auditory and balance disorders;
• Ability to perform functions associated with contemporary audiology scope of practice; and
• Ability to interact with patients, families, and other health care professionals.

GS-12

Licensure. The incumbent must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license in a State, Territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia.

Education and Experience. In addition to the requirements at the GS-11 level, completion of 1 year of professional experience comparable to the next lower level and possession of a full, current and unrestricted license to practice audiology. For positions involved in research audiology assignments involving no direct patient care, completion of a doctoral degree in audiology, hearing science, or a related field is fully qualifying. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs listed below.

Staff Audiologist. Staff audiologists at this grade level must demonstrate professional knowledge of, and skill in applying, a wide range of theories, principles, and methodologies of the practice of audiology to a wide range of populations. Individuals may perform ancillary assignments, including program management duties on an occasional basis, where the complexity and amount of work is not substantial (less than 25% of the time).

The following KSAs are required:

• Ability to develop coherent treatment strategies;
• Knowledge of clinical services, and the ability to perform them independently;
• Ability to conduct assessments and provide treatment interventions;
• Ability to provide consultation to other health care professionals;
• Knowledge of contemporary audiology practice; and
• Ability to perform functions associated with contemporary audiology scope of practice.

Preferred Experience:

Reference: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G29, Audiologist Qualification Standard, dated August 24, 2010. For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/ .

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of to GS-11 to GS-12

Physical Requirements: Position requires heavy lifting, 45 pounds and over; heavy carrying, 45 pounds and over; straight pulling (4 hours); pushing (4 hours); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking (2 hours); standing (7 hours); repeated bending (4 hours); both leg required; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; good visual requirement; depth perception; ability to distinguish basic colors; hearing (aid permitted); mental and emotional stability required.