Health Technician (Audiology)

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 42,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Durham VA Health Care System in Durham, NC seeks a Health Technician (Audiology), GS-7, to support audiology services across primary sites and affiliated facilities.

The role involves preparing patients for advanced testing, mentoring HTAs, and developing technician roles within a focused audiology program. Eligibility includes US citizenship and English proficiency. Veterans preferred.

Qualifications

• Six months of experience or education equivalent required.
• Two academic years above high school leading to an associate degree or a bachelor’s with at least 12 semester hours in related courses.
• Combination of experience and education accepted.

Responsibilities

• Prepare patients for advanced testing procedures performed by the audiologist.
• Develop and implement the technician role for a focused audiology program.
• Mentor and train new HTAs.

Skills

Mentor HTAs

Prepare patients for advanced testing

Develop technician role in audiology

Education

Associate degree or health-related Bachelor's with 12 semester hours

Job description

This position is located in the Audiology and Speech Pathology Service within the Durham VA Health Care System, in the Durham (primary site), Brier Creek, and associated facilities in North Carolina, if/when needed. The duties and responsibilities are carried out in all clinical and other patient care areas involved with the Audiology service. 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.

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).

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.
• English Language Proficiency. HTA candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403 (f).
• 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.

Grandfathering Provision. All individuals employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/trademark/registration/certification. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:

1. (1) They may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.(
2. (2) If an HTA who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee will lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation.
3. (3) HTAs who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
4. (4) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

Health Technician (Audiology), GS-7

• 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.

AND

• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs).
  • Ability to mentor and train new HTAs.
  • Ability to prepare patients for advanced testing procedures performed by the audiologist, such as evoked potentials.
  • Ability to develop and implement the technician role for a program in a focused area of audiology.

Reference:

For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-7.

Physical Requirements:

See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.