Hearing/Speech Technician 2

Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center:  Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care, VUMC is a community of diverse individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. Vanderbilt Health recognizes that diversity is essential for excellence and innovation. We are committed to an inclusive environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your diversity of culture, thinking, learning, and leading is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt’s mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

Organization:

Medical Speech - Adult

Job Summary:

JOB SUMMARY
Supports patient care while recognizing situations in which support is needed with minimal guidance. Maintains and prepares supplies and equipment, materials and/or information development. Identifies needs and develops strategies to meet needs in the areas of environment of care, safety, quality improvements, communication, and innovation to support patient and staff needs and satisfaction.

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KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
• Provides support to speech language pathologists through collection of data, assisting with researching topics, transportation of patients or other patient care support services.
• Assists in safe provision of functional activities (leading hand washing, toileting/diaper changing, snack activities for pediatrics).
• Provides support to speech language pathologist for implementing developmentally appropriate curriculum and activities.

Assist with instrumental swallow studies (FEES) in the adult and pediatric hospital and processing of scopes.
• Maintains supplies at acceptable levels.
• Prepares treatment areas (set up group therapy rooms based on number of patients served and focus of therapy, set up individual therapy/assessment rooms based upon age and/or diagnosis, clean up/reorganize treatment rooms at the conclusion of service).
• Provides basic screening services (Prepare infant or child for hearing screening, performs hearing screening and communicates results to family).
• The responsibilities listed are a general overview of the position and additional duties may be assigned.

TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES
• Rehab PTA/COTA Patient Documentation (Intermediate): Demonstrates mastery proficiency in documentation practices. Documents in the appropriate templates and utilizes only approved abbreviations within patient documentation. Meets institutional standards for quality and timeliness of documentation. May orient new staff to departmental and VUMC documentation standards. Will complete accurate chart audits of co-workers’ documentation.
• Quality Assurance (Novice): Has provided continuous analysis and evaluation of assignment work processes, constantly striving for improvement in the way tasks and activities are accomplished by questioning their value to the process and contributing creative solutions. Has participated in the process of establishing, communicating and monitoring standards for quality and excellence. Demonstrates the ability to actually work on and improve a current business process, product or service.
• Audiology Patient Education (Intermediate): Communicates functional impact of assessment findings, treatment interventions, diagnosis, and disease process. Adapts communication to the level of understanding of the patient. Determines comprehension and need for repetition and/or revision of counseling methods. Promotes public awareness and prevention of communicative and related disorders through local, and regional presentations to patient groups (e.g. American Tinnitus Association, Vestibular Disorders Association etc). Generates measurable improvement in understanding and quality of life of patients and their families.
• Equipment Maintenance (Novice): Possesses sufficient fundamental proficiency to successfully demonstrate the ability to maintain equipment, products, or systems in practical applications of moderate difficulty. Assures that parts inventory is sufficient.

Allied health is among the fastest growing occupations in healthcare today. This area can be defined as credentialed professionals who perform supportive, diagnostic, and therapeutic health care services to promote health and prevent disease in a variety of settings.

These areas are crucial to Vanderbilt Health’s reputation for excellence in these areas that has made us a major center for patient referrals from through