The New Jersey VA HCS- Lyons Campus is currently recruiting for 1 Health Technician(Audiology). The Audiology Health Technician position is designed to provide assistance to the audiologists in meeting the clinical needs of the patient population served in the Audiology and Speech Pathology Section of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service of the NJ VA HCS. The incumbent serves as a team member of the Audiology and Speech Pathology Section and provides health care support services. Basic Requirements: Citizenship: US Citizens 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. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. 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). GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Creditable Experience. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills and abilities associated with current HTA, HTSLP or HTASLP practice. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid or non-paid employment as a health technician in the health care field. Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to HTA, HTSLP or HTASLP experience at the next lower grade level of the position being filled. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher- level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience is creditable according to its relationship to a full-time workweek. For example, an individual employed 20 hours per week, or on a half time basis, would receive one full-time work week of credit for each two weeks of service. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates HTA, GS-06 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. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:(a) Knowledge of normal and abnormal ear anatomy.(b) Knowledge of hearing physiology and function to educate patients and families.(c) Knowledge of hearing aids, hearing assistive technology, hearing aid manufacturers and manufacturer software.(d) Ability to solve problems or make decisions regarding hearing aid, hearing assistive technology and patient care, consistent with the documented and co-signed plan of care under the supervision of an audiologist.(e) Ability to prepare patients for testing procedures. (f) Ability to document and code patient procedures. References: VA Handbook 5005/143 PART II APPENDIX G70 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6. Physical Requirements: The duties of this position require periods of sitting, standing and walking. Working with patients in the clinic and on the wards requires regular sitting, bending and standing. Patient transport occasionally requires the pushing of wheelchairs. Work in front of a CRT of one-to-four hours per day is required. Some stressful situations may occur when communicating with patients and their families; the incumbent must possess the skills to work with a wide range of physically challenged veterans and their significant others who may be medically, physically, psychiatrically or emotionally impaired and displaying a non-compliant attitude. ["Hearing aid troubleshooting and repair\nThe incumbent is responsible for routine repairs of all hearing aids that may be delivered or mailed to the Audiology clinic. During clinic hours, s/he meets with veterans on a one-to-one basis to solve hearing aid problems. In this capacity, the incumbent provides primary level troubleshooting and repair for veterans who are experiencing hearing aid problems. The ability to succeed in this role requires effective communication with patients who have communication disorders. Services commonly provided by the technician include evaluation of the hearing aid's function and fit, changing of batteries, process removal of stuck batteries, replacing battery doors, cleaning of electrical contacts, removal of impacted cerumen from the hearing aid, replacing ear mold tubing, inspecting and replacing cords, and counseling the veteran in optimal use and proper methods of care for the instruments. The incumbent will operate tools and equipment that range from simple brushes to computer-operated systems. S/he must possess the ability to operate fine-handled tools in complicated and stressful situations as with an uncooperative patient. The equipment and purposes include but are not limited to the following: brushes, cloths and modified dental tools to examine, clean and repair hearing aids; chemical mixtures to repair hearing aid shells and produce impressions of the external ear, otoscope and video otoscope to inspect and demonstrate factors of the external ear; electronic and air-powered devices to test, clean and rejuvenate prosthetic devices and batteries; buffer-grinder and drilling power tools for the modification of hearing aid shells; hot air units for the purpose of bending plastic prosthetic devices; electro-acoustic and computerized hearing aid analyzer systems and/or real-ear systems for the measurement of hearing aid performance or defects. When it is necessary for a hearing aid to be returned to a VA contract manufacturer for repair, the incumbent prepares all the necessary paperwork and records, wraps the hearing aid, and ships it. The incumbent makes appropriate entries in the clinic's record tracking system in to order to ensure that the hearing aid is properly tracked during the repair. When the hearing aid is returned, the technician checks to ensure that it is operational. S/he then either mails the hearing aid to the veteran, or asks the clerk to schedule the veteran for an appointment, as appropriate. As part of the repair responsibility, the incumbent evaluates the operation of assistive listening devices(ALD's) to include FM systems, infrared systems, telephone amplifiers and their accessories. The technician determines if the ALD is working properly and performs routine repairs. Those ALD's that the incumbent determines cannot be repaired on site, s/he processes for repair or replacement. When the incumbent determines that the patient demonstrates skill or knowledge deficits, s/he provides specific training or patient education and documents as appropriate in the patient record. Local management of the national hearing aid program\nThe management of stock and custom hearing aids, batteries, assistive listening devices and ear mold orders of on- and off-contract devices are the responsibility of this staff member. Remote Order/Entry System (ROES) entries, errors, certifications, and issues are managed by this staff member in partnership with coworkers. The technician is responsible for tracking hearing aid orders to insure they are received within mandated time frames. When it is determined that a hearing aid order may be delayed, s/he proactively makes appropriate contacts within and outside the Medical Center to insure that everything is done to avoid a delay in delivery. When the hearing aids are delivered to the clinic the incumbent is responsible for certifying the hearing aids and for checking the hearing aids to ensure that all ordered components are present and that the hearing aids are operational and ready to be issued. Hearing/hearing aid evaluations and patient education As part of the hearing aid fitting the incumbent instructs the patient in the proper use and care, as well as the rights and responsibilities, and safety measures for safe and effective use of the hearing aid and any assistive listening devices that are issued. The incumbent assists in preparing patients for specialized procedures including auditory brainstem testing, to include skin preparation and electrode resistance testing. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am-4pm\nTelework: Not Available\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nPosition Title/Functional Statement #:Health Technician (Audiology)/PD21W34A\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized\nPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]