Audiology like many professions is experiencing a skill shortage, again like many professions this is particularly evident in smaller towns such as Blenheim. A great solution to this skill shortage is to utilise Audiometrists, but how do these two qualifications differ?
Audiologists in New Zealand complete an undergraduate degree typically in a science field and then a Masters of Audiology. The Masters is a 6-semester full time program which covers the physiology, neurology, physics and acoustics of hearing and balance, alongside clinical practice and a master’s thesis based off a research project.
Audiologists can diagnose and treat peripheral and central hearing issues for both routine and complex cases, as well as balance disorders and tinnitus, in children and adults. Sara our Audiologist completed a Bachelor of Speech and Language Therapy as her undergraduate degree before undertaking her Masters of Audiology. This means she has an extensive knowledge base for all things related to communication and has an excellent skill set to provide auditory training and communication strategies to ensure people are getting maximum benefit from their hearing aids.
Audiometrists in NZ have typically completed a distance learning Diploma of Audiometry which is like an apprenticeship. There is course work delivered via a combination of online learning and in person block courses with the practical component done in clinic with a supervisor. Audiometrists can identify and treat routine peripheral hearing loss in adults and perform wax removals.
At Blackmore Audiology in the new year we will have 2 full-time audiometrists and a full-time audiologist, this enables us to provide support to our clients in a timely manner. However, maintaining the highest standard of clinical practice is very important to us. To ensure this our Audiologist Sara checks each over each patient’s file and does regular hands-on supervision with our audiometrists. All paediatric and some adult cases fall outside the scope of practice of an Audiometrist. As Sara is in clinic fulltime these people are able to be seen by her in a prompt manner. This also means she is available for any support the audiometrists may need throughout the day. This balance of qualifications in clinic means clients do not have to wait for long periods for support they may need but we are also ensuring that we are providing a high level of care.