Licensed Practical Nurse-Audiology

The Audiology & Speech Pathology LPN plays a vital role in Columbus VA Audiology Clinic. The LPN works in a team role with the whole staff, audiologists, speech language pathologists, support staff, MSAs support the hearing healthcare & communication needs of the Veteran, the LPN works under the supervision of audiologists & speech pathologists and has the ability to meet Veterans and their families to evaluate their amplification or assistive listening devices for repair and/or maintenance.

VA Careers - Licensed Practical Nurse:

The Audiology & Speech Pathology LPN provides patient education and triages hearing aid problems and patient complaints to determine if an additional appointment or further care is needed with an audiologist. The incumbent may also assist or help set-up for modified barium swallow studies for the speech pathologists. The incumbent maintains stock and supplies for the entire audiology clinic and the mobile audiology clinic. The incumbent manages all of the devices going out or coming in from repair and processes new orders using audiology-specific software. The incumbent may provide care at the satellite clinics on the audiology mobile unit.

The ability to succeed in this role requires effective communication with Veterans who are experiencing communication disorders.

The Licensed Practical Nurse functions under the supervision the Audiology Program Manager.

The Licensed Practical Nurse Duties include but are not limited to:

• Independently provide patient education.
• Communicate and interact appropriately and courteously with internal and external customers so as to facilitate Service Recovery at the unit level.
• Maintain confidentiality of written, electronic, and verbal patient/employee information.
• Work and function within a safe manner including infection control and use of equipment; appropriately reporting and addressing safety hazards to prevent injury to internal and external customers.
• Integrate and apply pertinent aspects of the Outpatient Clinic performance improvement program into his/her professional practice.
• Utilize nursing research and literature in practice.

The Licensed Practical Nurse possesses the ability to provide hearing aid care to Veterans to include the following:

• Responsible for routine repairs of hearing aids delivered or mailed to the Audiology Clinic.
• Meeting with veterans on a one-to-one basis to solve hearing aid problems. In this capacity, the incumbent provides primary level trouble shooting and repair for veterans who are experiencing hearing aid problems.
• Trouble-shooting devices. Services commonly provided by the Technician include the evaluation of hearing aid function and fit through listening checks, electroacoustic evaluation, visual inspection, changing of batteries, cleaning of electrical contacts, removal of impacted cerumen from the aid, replacing earmold tubing, inspecting and replacing mic covers.
• Earmold impression of a patient's ear following careful examination of the ear for contra-indications by an Audiologist. All interactions are properly documented in the veteran's records and electronic health record system in the form of clinical progress notes and with an audiologist named as a co-signer.

When it is necessary for a hearing aid to be returned to the manufacturer for repair, the incumbent prepares all necessary paperwork and records and packages and ships the instrument. The incumbent makes appropriate entries in the clinic's record tracking system in order to ensure that the hearing aid is properly tracked during the repair process.

The Licensed Practical Nurse demonstrates the knowledge necessary to administrative management in audiology such as:

Roes Entries: The incumbent will be responsible for entering ROES orders for his/her hearing aid repairs, batteries and other supplies as necessary. She/he will track and certify hearing aid orders as they are received, as well as taking necessary steps for correcting errors or changes as they occur.

Equipment and Supply Management: The incumbent maintains an adequate supply of materials and other supplies (as requested by Audiology staff) to meet the clinic needs. The technician maintains clinic records in accordance with service line, VA ACC, and VA requirements.

SDS management: The technician works with the program support assistant and reviews annually the safety data sheets (SDS) for the audiology clinic including CBOCs. She/he will ensure that inventory and sheets are current.

Work Schedule: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 7:30 am to 6:00 pm, 4 ten hour days

Compressed/Flexible: Not Available

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized

Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)

Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.

Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA

Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 91889-A

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized