Audiology jobs

Purpose and Mission

Audiologists are healthcare professionals whose job is to identify, assess and provide non-medical management and rehabilitation for people with hearing and balance problems. They also assess and help manage a variety of other communication-related disorders.

The main tasks performed by audiologists are audiometric testing, prescribing hearing aids, and developing appropriate rehabilitation plans for patients. Some audiologists are also employed in the medical device / hearing aid industry to research noise control and hearing conservation technologies.

Reports To

While some audiologists are employed at private and government-sponsored health clinics and schools and typically report to department heads, many audiologists work as part of a private practice group, and may not have a direct supervisor. Management at the practice does have general oversight over individual practitioners.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Senior staff audiologists at a clinic or hearing centre may oversee or have training responsibilities for new audiologists. Partners in a private audiology practice often have notable supervisory responsibilities, such as delegating to and evaluating administrative and technical staff.

Qualifications

Most audiologists have earned an undergraduate degree in biomedical science, human biology, speech pathology, linguistics or a similar discipline, and have also earned a master’s level or equivalent qualification in audiology.

To become an accredited member of the professional organization Audiology Australia, newly graduated audiologists must complete a one-year clinical internship. Interns are supervised by experienced colleagues who already hold Audiology Australia’s Certificate of Clinical Practice.

Responsibilities of an Audiologist

To perform their job, audiologists have to become familiar with the use of a variety of equipment, including audiometers, screening devices, aural probes, hearing-aid analysers and even ophthalmoscopes.

The main responsibilities of an audiologist are:

• Collaborating with speech pathologists and other specialists to help patients solve communication problems relating to defective hearing, injury and/or disorders
• Evaluating patients to assess if the hearing loss results from natural or artificial causes
• Examining patients and undertaking various assessments to determine the type and degree of hearing impairments
• Performing a range of audio tests to assess patient hearing proficiency and identify the specific hearing problems
• Planning and supervising rehabilitation programs post-surgery or treatment, as well as for those who are losing their hearing and trying to cope with the effects
• Suggesting treatment and /or lifestyle changes to patients and prescribing appropriate hearing aids
• Researching and staying current on latest developments and treatment methods in the growing field of audiology.