Newborn Hearing Screener - Per Diem

Job Profile Summary

This role focuses on assessing the needs of patients who have physical, mental, or emotional disabilities and delivering therapy services to improve their developmental, physical or cognitive impairment. In addition, this role focuses on performing the following Audio/Speech Therapy related duties: Evaluates patients and uses sound therapy to improve physical and mental conditions. Responsibilities also include improving physical and mental conditions through treating a variety of speech disorders and communication difficulties. A clinical technologist role that has specialized knowledge or skills gained through a combination of vocational education, training, and experience. This role will be most commonly applied to patient care and/or scientific/laboratory jobs. An entry-level role typically requiring little to no prior knowledge or experience and requiring vocational or technical education. Work is routine or follows standard procedures, is closely supervised, and communicates information that requires little explanation or interpretation.

Job Overview

This position is responsible for performing newborn screening hearing on all newborns prior to discharge, monitoring the daily census to ensure that all exams are performed as soon as possible, documenting screening results and entering all charges into the system.

Job Description

Minimum Qualifications:

1. High school diploma or equivalent.

Preferred Qualifications:

1. Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) or Certified Medical Assistant (MA).

2. One (1) year of experience as a Nursing Assistant with newborn infants.

Duties and Responsibilities: The duties and responsibilities listed below are intended to describe the general nature of work and are not intended to be an all-inclusive list. Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned.

1. Follows established protocols for performing newborn hearing screening on all newborns prior to discharge.

2. Verifies the daily census in four nurseries to identify new admissions.

3. Prepare the newborn for the screening and perform test.

4. Completes the newborn hearing-screening summary in the chart.

5. Communicates with parents/guardian and/or staff that the test has been performed.

6. Provides written documentation for the parents and staff.

7. Documents newborns that did not receive testing and arrange for outpatient testing as necessary.

8. Following the exam, the technician is responsible for entering all charges into the system.

9. Maintains adequate stock supplies for the program.

10. Calibrates the hearing test equipment on a patient-by-patient basis.

11. Ensures the equipment is in perfect working order prior to testing.

12. Verifies infant ID upon return to parents.

13. Assists the Audiologist in training new technicians.

14. Enters patient information into the computer system.

15. Informs Audiologist of any purchasing needs.

16. Investigates missing demographic information when necessary.

Physical Requirements:

1. Requires occasional standing, standing and walking & transferring of patients.

2. Requires manual dexterity using fine hand manipulation to operate computer keyboard, dexterity to provide quantitative testing and manual treatment techniques to a wide variety of patients.

3. Requires ability to see computer screen and reports.

4. Visually assess functional status of patients, see hearing aid appliances, and audibly assess patient subjective complaints.

Skills & Abilities:

1. Ability to effectively communicate effectively with parents, family members and the medical/nursing staff to answer questions and troubleshoot scheduling problems.

2. Ability to follow written infection control procedures and work with minimal supervision to ensure that all newborns receive screening prior to discharge.

3. Possesses and applies the skills and knowledge necessary to provide care to patients throughout the life span, with consideration of aging processes, human development stages and cultural patterns in each step of the care process.

4. Ability to review daily census and prioritize the schedule to ensure all patients are tested prior to discharge.

5. Ability to calibrate the equipment and recognize if there is a problem prior to completing the examination.