Audiologist

About Children’s Wisconsin

Children’s Wisconsin is a nationally recognized health system dedicated solely to the health and well‑being of children. It provides primary care, specialty care, urgent care, emergency care, community health services, foster and adoption services, child and family counseling, child advocacy services, and family resource centers. The organization draws patients and families from around the country and offers a wide variety of rewarding career opportunities.

Job Summary

Evaluates patients referred to the Audiology Program, determines hearing level, identifies the most likely site of damage to the auditory system, anticipates the degree of disability resulting from hearing loss, predicts potential benefits from hearing aid use and/or special training, and prescribes and dispenses hearing aids for hearing‑impaired patients. Counsels and instructs patients and families in rehabilitative needs, monitors patient progress, and maintains clinical records according to established procedures.

Essential Functions

• Developmental: Understands and satisfies the needs of neonatal, pediatric, adolescent, and adult patients regarding their growth and development processes.
• Evaluation: Administers a wide variety of audiological tests designed for the pediatric population; reviews patient records; interviews patients/families for case history; consults with physicians, speech‑pathologists, and other clinical professionals; determines likely site of auditory system damage; anticipates degree of auditory disability; predicts potential benefits of hearing aid use and/or special training. Competencies include newborn hearing screening, impedance testing, otoacoustic emissions, auditory brainstem response testing, automated steady‑state response testing, behavioral assessment, and auditory processing evaluations.
• Case Management: Counsels and instructs parents and patients on auditory disabilities, treatment needs, and long‑term effects; monitors all children referred to Audiology to ensure appropriate medical and educational services; connects families with state and national organizations related to hearing loss; performs cerumen management.
• Selection and Fitting of Amplification Devices and Accessories: Prescribes, selects, and dispenses appropriate hearing aids; trains patients and families in use; regularly adjusts hearing aids to ensure proper functioning and assists with adjustment difficulties; trains audiology colleagues on technology changes; is assigned specific hearing‑aid manufacturer(s) for this purpose.
• Documentation: Maintains written records of initial status (audiological evaluation reports); prepares summaries of hearing and hearing‑aid orientation progress; handles patient, physician, and professional correspondence; develops protocols, databases, and student/new‑employee handbooks.
• Collaboration: Attends patient review conferences, clinics, in‑service and education classes, and meetings to gather and exchange treatment information; mentors audiology and speech‑pathology students; leads and participates in research related to pediatric audiology or otolaryngology.
• Accountability/Productivity: Maintains productivity to support department goals.
• Professional Development: Provides in‑service training and community lectures on auditory development and disorders as requested; attends conferences for continuing education; supervises university graduate students during practicum experiences.
• Cost Containment: Monitors accuracy of audiological testing equipment and calibrates it regularly.
• Personal/Development Goals: Recognizes needs for improvement in clinical areas and core competencies.

Experience

Minimum of 1+ year experience in a pediatric medical setting, providing experience with hearing‑aid fitting, special testing methods for children, infants, and multiply handicapped patients, and knowledge of the special needs of children in difficult‑to‑test populations (e.g., cleft palate, Down syndrome, VCF, NICU, developmentally delayed, etc.).

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of anatomy, physiology, sociology, acoustics, phonetics, auditory rehabilitation, cochlear implants, cerumen management, auditory processing, hearing‑aid technology, and clinical pediatric audiology as acquired through a clinical Doctorate of Audiology (AuD) degree.
• Interpersonal skills to communicate effectively with patients, families, physicians, speech‑language pathologists, and other clinical professionals.
• Analytical skills to administer and evaluate standardized audiological tests, interpret audiometric results, develop treatment plans, and monitor patient progress.
• Ability to concentrate and pay close attention to detail for up to 50 % of work time when evaluating patients, maintaining documentation, calibrating equipment, and adjusting hearing aids.
• Ability to walk and stand for up to 10 % of work time when preparing work areas and setting up equipment.

Licenses and Certifications

• BLS – Basic Life Support Healthcare Provider (American Heart Association/American Red Cross/National Safety Council).
• License Audiologist (156) – State of Wisconsin.