JOB SUMMARY:
The Audiologist provides highly specialized autonomous patient care and is involved in the prevention, identification, assessment, and rehabilitation of auditory function, balance, and related systems incorporating the principles of family centered care. The overall goal of the service is to optimize and enhance the ability of an individual to hear in order to restore communication function. The Audiologist works in collaboration with other members of the health care team and strives to provide evidence-based care by integrating research with practice. S/he promotes continuous improvement and helps to generate innovative ideas within audiology and maintains a commitment to life-long learning. S/he ensures comprehensive analysis, integration and interpretation of test battery results to formulate and implement appropriate audiology management care plans.
KEY ROLE ACCOUNTABILITIES:
- Recommends and evaluates comprehensive diagnostic measures on a diverse caseload including children with complex needs.
- Recommends and evaluates pediatric amplification including implantable devices and recommends where required assistive listening devices.
- Formulates, implements, reviews and communicates in accordance with best practice guidance based on multidisciplinary assessment outcomes, communication, social and educational needs.
- Makes recommendations to line manager regarding decisions that have a unit, service and staff impact.
- Performs a range of test measures including otoscopy, immittance, word recognition, oto-acoustic emission recordings, electrophysiological tests, including electrocochleography (ECochG), auditory steady state response (ASSR), auditory evoked early, middle and late latency responses and event related potentials where required.
- Independently selects, performs and interprets developmentally appropriate behavioral tests including test technique modifications for clients with complex needs.
- Ensures comprehensive assessment and management of ototoxicity, auditory processing disorders, vestibular and balance impairments and noise induced hearing loss including advice on strategies for hearing conservation and provision of ear protection devices.
- Ensures timely management of a newly identified hearing loss to minimize the impact on education, psychosocial and speech-language development.
- Provision of a comprehensive habilitation service including bone anchored hearing aids candidacy/benefit, aural impression taking, fitting, programming, troubleshooting, verification, and orientation.
- Uses subjective / objective measures including gain analysis, sound-field testing, age-appropriate speech perception testing and questionnaire measures.
- Provides complex cochlear implant (CI) assessment including candidacy for cochlear implantation, likely benefit, diagnosis and implementation of the most appropriate electrical-neural stimulation when required.
- Ensures management of CI patients including device selection, fitting, mapping, aftercare, post CI monitoring of communication and progress when required.
- Provision of assessment and management of tinnitus and sound sensitivity using biofeedback, behavioral management, masking, sound enrichment, hearing aids, education, and counseling.
- Provision of audiological rehabilitation and recommendations for hearing assistive devices, alerting systems and captioning devices.
- Possesses highly developed communication skills, to communicate complex information and psychosocial adjustment counselling relating to hearing loss, expectations from hearing aid and cochlear implantation where required.
- To formulate and implement appropriate auditory management care plans based on diagnostic information, taking into account audiological status, communication skills and social needs in collaboration with the patient/family and other members of the health care.
- Ensures comprehensive analysis, integration and interpretation of test battery results and initiate, where necessary, onward referral to multi-disciplinary team for further medical intervention.
- Ensures accurate, relevant and systematic recording of information, provision of accurate feedback to parents including recommendations for management team.
- Provides training and technical support to audiology staff and the multi-disciplinary team.
- Participates in universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) program development and monitoring.
- Participates in planning, program direction, policies, procedures and quality plans for Surgical Service in accordance with line manager, organizational and departmental goals and objectives.
- Collaborates with clinical educators in planning, implementation and evaluation of staff and patient education.
- Participates in the installation, interfacing and testing of Audiology medical devices during the pre-operation and service activation phase(s).
- Supports and recommends improvements for CIS build, implementation and review to meet clinical and functional requirements.
- Participates in the ordering of consumables, medical equipment and accessories necessary for the provision of services.
- Integrates ethical and cultural considerations and processes in all areas of planning.
- Participates in regularly scheduled maintenance, annual audiology calibration, reports and documents any equipment or safety concerns immediately.
Research:
- Identifies audiology research opportunities.
- Participates in, develops and promotes research.
- Utilizes and promotes evidence-based care.
- Disseminates research and clinical findings through publications, presentations, seminars, etc.
- Adheres to Sidra’s standards as they appear in the Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest policies
- Adheres to and promotes Sidra’s Values
QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS:
ESSENTIAL PREFERRED Education Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited program in Audiology Master’s Degree from an accredited program in Audiology Experience - 5+ years of relevant clinical experience
- Work experience in an acute pediatric academic medical center
- Experience with Joint Commission Accreditation or Joint Commission International Accreditation
- Formal process improvement training (Lean or Six Sigma)
- Primary research experience
- Familiarity with Middle Eastern standards and work experience within the region
Certification and Licensure - Licensure or Registration from country of origin if applicable
- Holder of Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-A) in Audiology from a program accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association or from an internationally recognized accredited professional organization from country of origin
- Eligible for licensure in Qatar after onboarding.
Professional Membership Job Specific Skills and Abilities - Demonstrated excellent written and verbal communications skills
- Ability to deal with conflict
- Ability to problem solve
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite
- Fluency in written and spoken English
Sidra Medicine a healthy population is essential to a strong, prosperous society, and throughout 2020, Sidra continued to provide uninterrupted comprehensive specialist healthcare services for children and young people; and exceptional maternity, gynecology, and reproductive medical services for women, previously unavailable in Qatar and the region.” – H.H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation
Sidra Medicine represents the vision of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser who serves as its Chairperson. This high-tech facility is home to world-class patient care, scientific expertise, and educational resources.
