Examples of General Learning Objectives:
By the end of this placement, students will:
- Understand the process of service, from referral to discharge
- Develop an understanding of the role of the Audiologist within the setting and the connections with other team members
- Develop skills in basic assessment with adults
- Develop skills in planning and implementing treatment with adults
- Learn to interact with clients/patients, their families and/or other team members
- Develop skills in documentation and report writing
- Develop self-evaluation skills
Example Specific Course Objectives
(Note that the student will likely not achieve independence in all these clinical skills and even at the end of the externship, many of the sessions will be shared responsibility with the Clinical Educator)
Client-clinician interaction:
The student will learn to interact effectively with adults with hearing disorders and their families.
Roles:
The student will develop an understanding of the Audiologist’s role in the agency
Service Delivery:
The student will develop an understanding of the process of assessment and management
Assessment:
The student will develop skills in basic assessment procedures specific to the setting, for example:
- The student will complete case history with a client and/or family.
- Otoscopy – student will complete otoscopic exams and develop skills in recognizing abnormal findings
- Standard audiometry – the student will conduct standard pure tone and speech audiometry – including masking when needed
- The student will conduct immittance audiometry
- The student will conduct otoacoustic emissions testing
- The student will learn about clinical decision making when timing and client’s abilities indicates complete assessment cannot be obtained.
- The student will be able to interpret the test battery and relate the type degree and configuration of the hearing assessment results.
- The student will gain knowledge of making appropriate recommendations based on the assessment results
- The student will learn to convey assessment results and recommendations to the family
- The student will detail assessment findings in written reports
Treatment
- The student will develop skills in planning an appropriate treatment including hearing aid selection and programming
- The student will fit hearing aids according to real ear measures or simulated real ear measures
- The student will take ear impressions on cooperative adults with non-surgically altered ears.
- The student will conduct listening checks to hearing aids as well as electroacoustic analysis to assess hearing aid function
- The student will conduct simple hearing aid repairs ( i.e. hearing aid cleanings, retubing, replacing earhooks, battery doors)
- The student will assess when hearing equipment needs to sent out for repair
- The student will gain knowledge about connecting hearing aids to remote microphone systems and other assistive devices.
- The student will learn to troubleshoot problems with connected devices and send equipment for repair if needed.
- The student will counsel clients and their families regarding the use and care of their hearing equipment.
Self-evaluation:
The student will develop self-evaluation skills, specifically in interactions with clients, and with families and other professionals.