Goals for First Externship with an Adult in a Diagnostic Setting

Examples of General Learning Objectives:

By the end of this placement, students will:

  1. Understand the process of service, from referral to discharge
  2. Develop an understanding of the role of the Audiologist within the setting and the connections with other team members
  3. Develop skills in basic assessment with adults
  4. Develop knowledge of appropriate recommendations to make following an assessment
  5. Learn to interact with clients/patients, their families and/or other team members
  6. Develop skills in documentation and report writing
  7. 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 from referral to discharge.

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 conduct evoked potential testing.
  • The student will actively observe or assist with vestibular 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 and potential site of lesion.
  • The student will gain knowledge of making appropriate referrals and 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

Self-evaluation:

The student will develop self-evaluation skills, specifically in interactions with clients, and with families and other professionals.