Job Description

Job Details
Job Title: BASIC GRADE AUDIOLOGIST
Directorate: CLINICAL SUPPORT AND SCREENING DIRECTORATE
Department/Ward: AUDIOLOGY
Location: QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL , GATESHEAD
Pay Band: A 4 C BAND 5

Main Purpose of the Job

As an audiologist you will be part of a team delivering a diagnostic audiology and hearing aid
service to adults and children in the Gateshead area.

Dimensions
You will participate in the daily function of the Audiology service
You will work autonomously to deliver a range of diagnostic and rehabilitative care packages for
adult patients and contribute to the daily running of the department.
In conjunction with other staff you will participate in providing a paediatric audiology service.
You will be expected to implement changes within the department and within your own role as an
audiologist.
You will be expected to provide appropriate help to patients, other audiologists, nursing and
medical staff and any other hospital staff relating to audiological care of patients.
You will provide where appropriate training and supervision to trainee audiologists as and when
required.
You will be required to participate in 7 day working.

Other than the responsibilities associated with the job description as set out below you are
expected to ensure your own continuous personal and professional development.

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Organisation Chart
+
Service Line Manager

Audiology Admin & Head of Personal

Waiting list manager Audiology assistant

Senior Audiologists

Associate Audiologists Audiologists Band 5

Communications and Relationships

You will be responsible for communicating instructions as well as basic information on diagnosis and
rehabilitation to:
Patients and family members
Audiology colleagues
GP’s
Other professionals managing the same patient

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Knowledge, Skills, Training and Experience
Essential
A reasonable knowledge and practical experience of audiological practice relating to assessment of
hearing and in children and adults consistent with the attached personal specification.
Experience of fitting and repairing hearing aids and offering advice to adults on hearing loss and
rehabilitation

Desirable
Experience of non-standard hearing devices eg. CROS, BAHA, tinnitus devices
Experience of vestibular assessment
Please refer to personal specification for details of qualifications

Analytical and Judgemental Skills

You will need to assess the needs of patients and understand their responses.
If necessary you will need to find ways to modify your approach to obtain the required information
from the patient’s history and test results.
You will use your judgement of results obtained in tests to plan and progress a care package to help
in the rehabilitation of patients with a hearing impairment.

Planning and Organisational Skills

You will need to be a confident self starter who can organise their own workload within the rota
planned by the senior audiologist.
You will contribute to staff and directorate meetings and be confident at presenting case studies and
areas of interest to colleagues and other directorate staff.

Physical Skills (manual dexterity)

You will be required to take impressions of ears of adults and children
You will need to be confident in handling of an otoscope and examining ears
You will have experience of REM tube placement
Selection and insertion of slim tube open fit technology and receiver in canal technology
You will be able to set up and use equipment necessary for the performance of your role including
infection control procedures and functionality testing / Stage A checks.

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Patient/Client care:
All audiologists are expected as part of the team to be able to take responsibility for a patient’s
rehabilitative process from examination and diagnosis of a hearing loss to fitting and review of
hearing aid systems. This includes ongoing care and maintenance. You are also required to be able
to support ENT clinics by providing accurate audiometric results to help medical staff with their
diagnosis.

Policy and Service Development:

You will be required to be aware of and to follow the policies and procedures of the department and
the Trust.
You may be asked to contribute to departmental Standard Operational Policies

Financial and Physical Resources e.g. budget, stock and equipment:

Although you have no direct financial involvement at budget level all staff should be financially
aware of the cost of the service that they provide.
You should be aware of the value of the equipment entrusted to your use, be prepared to take care
of it and ensure you are competent in the use of that equipment.

Human Resources
As one of the qualified audiologists you may be required to supervise audiology trainees and
associate audiologists. You are responsible for maintaining your own continuous professional
development and meeting the requirements of membership of appropriate professional bodies

Information Resources:
You are responsible for maintaining patient records on our patient management system and in the
Trust wide MEDWAY system in accordance with Trust and departmental policies.
You are also responsible for recording in the patient’s health records appropriate notes relating to
any actions you have undertaken with the patient.
You are responsible for the correct use of any IT equipment and associated software that you use in
the department

Research and Development:

As a qualified audiologist you will be expected to contribute to any research or audit activity and
comply with any recommendations or guidance that such activity generates.

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Freedom to Act
You are considered to be an autonomous practitioner in all matters relating to the diagnosis of
hearing loss and selection and fitting of hearing aids from the NHS range or any hearing aids fitted
as standard in the department that you have been trained to use.
When assessing patients you should act on your own discretion to select appropriate tests and
methods of assessment. Any tests or examinations should be carried out to the recognised standard
or procedure.
You will be required to offer appropriate advice to patients who have hearing or related audiological
problems.
You should follow any protocols used within the department for safe practice.
You should always liaise with senior colleagues on any matters that you feel are beyond your ability
before involvement with patients.

Physical Effort
Many of the patients you are seeing will be elderly and you should be prepared to assist such
patients physically if necessary.
You may be required to work with babies and young children and as such will be expected to be
physically capable of adopting appropriate positions and postures.

Mental Effort
Assessment and rehabilitation of hearing impaired people requires an in depth knowledge to
process complex information and the ability to communicate with patients at all levels. Prolonged
periods of concentration are essential to the work entailed with most patient contacts.

Emotional Effort
You are required to be empathetic and understanding of the needs of patients.
Sometimes patients can exhibit anger, frustration and confusion and you will need to relate to such
feelings and create a positive environment so that the rehabilitative process can be as successful as
possible.

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Working Conditions
As an audiologist you are working directly and closely with adults and children from different
backgrounds, social groups and levels of mental alertness.
You may need to work with people whose personal standards are not capable of meeting your own.
You will be in contact with infection and possibly exposed to broken skin and blood.
You are expected to follow departmental directions in treating all patients respectfully and fairly by
complying with the Trust policies on equality and diversity.
Possible exposure to difficult highly aggressive situations with patients and visitors.
VDU screens- working at a computer
Exposure to body fluids
Exposure to dust
Flexible hours according to demands of the service including the move to 7 day working.

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CONTROL OF INFECTION

All Trust staff have a duty to provide a safe environment by considering adherence to infection
prevention and control as an integral part of their roles and responsibilities. The individual roles
and responsibilities for staff are outlined in the Trust’s Control of Infection policy (IC 1). There
should be specific discussion of control of infection within the KSF/Appraisal process and as a
minimum all staff must demonstrate good hand hygiene and practice and support the Clean Your
Hands Campaign.

PRIVACY & DIGNITY & RESPECT AND EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY

The Trust is committed to ensuring that all current and potential staff, patients and visitors are
treated with dignity, fairness and respect regardless of gender, race, disability, sexual orientation,
age, marital or civil partnership status, religion or belief or employment status. Staff will be
supported to challenge discriminatory behavior.

PROFESSIONAL CODE OF CONDUCT (IF APPROPRIATE)

To abide by the Code of Practice of Professional body as published by the relevant regulatory body
(if appropriate).

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR SENIOR MANAGERS (IF APPROPRIATE)

To adhere to the Code of Conduct for NHS Senior Managers.

Signed: (Job Holder)

Date:

Signed: (Manager/Head of Service)

Date:

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 Appendix 1

Note to Managers: - Please complete this form clearly, providing as much

information as possible to candidates.

Risk Assessment Indicators for the post

DUTIES AND RISK FACTORS OF THE POST Yes No

1. Exposure Prone Procedures (EPP’s)*
2. Manual Handling Operations
3. Dust, Dirt, Smells
4. Chemicals, Fumes or Gasses (Glutaraldehyde, fixer, anaesthetic gases,
reconstitution/handling of cytotoxic drugs)
5. Patient Contact
6. Babies/Children Contact
7. Food handling / Preparation
8. Driving
9. Fork Lift Truck Driving
10. User of Display Screen Equipment
11. Noise
12. Infestation
13. Blood and Body Fluids/Waste/Samples/Foul Linen
14. Excessive Cold
15. Excessive Heat
16. Inclement weather
17. Radiation
18. Laser Use
19. Working at Heights over 2 metres
20. Confined Spaces
21. Vibration i.e. Power Tools
22. Using machinery with moving/exposed parts
23. Shift work
24. Use of latex products
25. Physical violence / aggression
26. Any other hazards please specify
27. Other
     

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If any hazard is identified above please give details below.

     
Hazards Identified:-
1. Manual Handling:- assisting patients, moving equipment
2. Dust, dirt, smells:- Personal hygiene of patients, handling dirty earmoulds
3. Patient contact:- working directly with the public
4. Babies / Children contact:- Paediatric assessment and rehabilitation
5. Diving:- Car driving between places of employment
6. Use of VDU:- Most equipment is now IT based and you will spend a high proportion of your
day working with computers
7. Noise:- Some exposure to loud sound from hearing aid systems and test apparatus
8. Blood and body Fluids:- Handling patients who have infections and exposure to open
wounds
9. Confined spaces:- Working with children at low levels
10. Use of machinery:- modification of earmoulds using grinding machinery and rotating hand
pieces with small tools

*Definition of Exposure Prone Procedures (EPP’s)

Exposure prone procedures are those where there is a risk that injury to the Health Care Worker may result in the exposure of the
patient’s open tissues to the blood of the HCW. These procedures include those where the HCW’s gloved hands may be in
contact with sharp instruments, needle tips and sharp tissue (spicules of bones and teeth) inside a patients open body cavity,
wound or confined anatomical space where the hands or fingertips may not be completely visible at all times.

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