Audiologist

The duties and responsibilities are carried out throughout the healthcare system including all clinical and patient care areas involved with the service including future sites of care not specifically listed. The incumbent is assigned to a primary duty station but will routinely cover at other sites in accordance with facility policy. This position routinely floats between all sites of care including but not limited to: Daytona Beach Deltona Lake Baldwin Lake Nona Tavares and Viera clinics as needed. The Audiologist at this level plans conducts and coordinates all aspects of diagnostic evaluation and treatment of hearing impairment and/or balance disorders. The incumbent 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. The incumbent is an independent licensed practitioner and is considered to be at the full performance level. The incumbent operates under the clinical privileges. Clinical duties and responsibilities include direct patient care involving a full range of audiology and balance evaluation and treatment services including the selection and fitting of hearing aids and other amplification systems and devices aural (auditory) rehabilitation and counseling of hearing-impaired veterans and their family. Other position duties:

• Identifies and evaluates individuals with hearing disorders in the reception and perception of speech language and other acoustic to a full range of patient complexity.
• Administers the full range of tests including the testing of vestibular nerve function and vestibular rehabilitation evaluates the testing of vestibular nerve function and vestibular rehabilitation evaluates the type and degree of hearing loss for patients who may be unable to provide consistent and reliable reaction to diagnostics.
• Responsible for planning delivering and monitoring the effectiveness and clinical outcomes of patient-centered treatment and rehabilitative services for patients with significant physical and psychological complicating conditions; including but not limited to the selecting and fitting of all types of hearing aids and associated technology; programming of digital hearing aids and associated technology; issuance of hearing protection of devices for the prevention of acoustic trauma for those individuals working in a noisy environment; selection and fitting of assistive devices and assistive listening devices such as personal and FM amplifiers; telephone amplifiers radio and TV magnetic induction devices for special communication problems and inspection modification and repair of amplification devices and ear molds.
• Other duties as assigned.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the Required Documents section of this announcement.

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Qualifications

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. Must be a United States Citizen per VA policy.
• English Language Proficiency. Audiologist candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).
• Education
  • Doctor of Audiology (AUD) from an audiology program recognized by the Accreditation Commission for Audiology Education (ACAE) or Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). OR
  • Other doctoral degree in hearing science or a directly related field from an institution accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
    • Note: Effective January 1 2007 the CAA in Audiology and Speech Language Pathology of ASHA accredits only doctoral degree or AUD programs in audiology.
  • Foreign Education. To be creditable education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. Such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs.
• Licensure. Individuals must hold a full current and unrestricted license to practice audiology at the doctoral level in a United States state territory commonwealth or the District of Columbia.
  • Exception for Non-Licensed Audiologist. Non-Licensed applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for licensure may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate audiologist at the GS-11 grade under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405(c)(2).
• Grandfathering Provision. 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).

• Education. None beyond the basic requirements.
• Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the basic requirements the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
  • 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 as defined by the American Academy of Audiology or the ASHA.
  • Ability to interact with patients families and other health care professionals.
• Assignment. Employees at this grade level serve in audiologist entry-level developmental positions. Audiologists perform audiology assessment and treatment intervention exercise clinical judgment adapt clinical procedures and techniques and document in the medical record appropriate information related to patient care.

• Experience. In addition to the requirements at the GS-11 level completion of one year of professional experience comparable to the next lower grade level.
• Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the KSAs required at the full performance level the following KSAs are required:
  • Skill in determining nature type and severity of hearing/communication/vestibular disorders.
  • Skill in counseling patients and family members regarding management of hearing/communication/vestibular disorders.
  • Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional audiology to other health care professionals.
  • Ability to independently apply professional contemporary audiologic treatments to the full range of patient populations
• Assignment. This is the full performance level for staff audiologists. At this level audiologists are licensed to practice independently in the provision of audiologic services consulting with peers and supervisors as appropriate. Audiologists serve as consultants to other health care professionals and are recognized subject matter experts (SME) on matters related to hearing tinnitus and balance disorders. The supervisor may assign staff audiologists to any VHA program and setting such as inpatient or outpatient medicine primary care surgery hearing health neurology rehabilitation medicine geriatrics compensation and pension. Audiologists diagnose audiologic disorders conduct audiologic or neuro-audiologic assessments treat auditory disorders through a various modalities and provide adjunctive interventions for the treatment of medical disorders. Audiologists consult with medical center staff on various patient care issues. Staff audiologists may be involved in program evaluation teaching training and research activities. Among the modalities provided are individual family and group audiologic rehabilitation.