How To Become a Newborn Hearing Screener: Step-by-Step Guide
Learn about the steps important to pursuing a career as a newborn hearing screener, including education, skills, salary and more.
Newborn hearing screeners play an important role in the early detection of hearing loss in infants. This career is perfect for those who are interested in working with babies and their families. If you are compassionate and have good communication skills, becoming a newborn hearing screener may be the right career choice for you. In this article, we discuss what a newborn hearing screener does, the average salary and how to become one.
What Does a Newborn Hearing Screener Do?
Newborn hearing screeners work in hospitals or clinics to test the hearing of newborn babies. They use specialized equipment to measure a baby’s response to sound and then record the results. Newborn hearing screenings are important because they can help identify hearing problems early on, which is when intervention is most effective.
The duties of a newborn hearing screener include:
- Setting up testing equipment prior to each screening
- Placing testing probes on a baby’s head
- Turning on the machine and starting the test
- Watching for a baby’s response to sound during the test
- Recording the results of the test
- Cleaning and maintaining testing equipment
- Educating parents about the importance of newborn hearing screenings
Newborn Hearing Screener Salary and Job Outlook
The average salary for a newborn hearing screener is $40,685. Newborn hearing screeners can expect to earn more as they gain experience and education in the field.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that job prospects for newborn hearing screeners will grow much faster than average over the next decade. This is due to an increased awareness of the importance of early detection and intervention for hearing loss in infants.
How to Become a Newborn Hearing Screener
Here are several steps you should take to become a newborn hearing screener.
1. Earn a high school diploma or equivalent
You will need to have a high school diploma or equivalent to enroll in a newborn hearing screener training program. Some programs may require specific coursework, such as biology and anatomy, before you can apply for admission. If your education did not include this type of coursework, you may need to take additional classes to be eligible for admittance.
2. Complete a training program to become certified in newborn hearing screening
Ear training and audiology courses are offered by colleges, universities and hearing instrument training schools. Ear training courses teach students how to identify sounds in the environment and distinguish them from background noise. Audiology courses focus on the anatomy of the ear and its functions.
Students who want to become newborn hearing screeners must complete a certification program approved by the American Academy of Audiology or the National Consortium for Credentialing Excellence in Hearing Healthcare Administration. These programs include coursework in audiology, pediatric development and screening techniques. Students also learn about ethics, laws and regulations related to hearing healthcare.
3. Pass the certification exam administered by the National Board for Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences
The next step in your career as a newborn hearing screener is to pass the certification exam administered by the National Board for Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences. This test covers topics such as audiology, communication disorders and acoustics. You must score at least 90 percent on this exam to become certified.
After you have earned your certification, you can begin applying for jobs as a newborn hearing screener. Keep in mind that some employers may require additional training or experience before they hire you.
4. Gain experience working with infants and young children
Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) specialists, audiologists or speech-language pathologists are often the professionals who perform newborn hearing screenings. However, you can gain experience working with infants and young children in a variety of roles. For example, teachers, daycare workers and pediatricians all interact with infants and young children on a regular basis.
Working as an assistant to an ENT specialist, audiologist or speech-language pathologist is another way to gain experience working with infants and young children. You can also volunteer at your local hospital or clinic to get hands-on experience screening newborns for hearing loss.
5. Develop strong communication skills
Communication is an important part of the job, as you will be working with parents and other medical professionals. You may need to explain test results or procedures to parents who are concerned about their child’s hearing. It can also be helpful to have a calm demeanor when conducting screenings so that infants stay still during testing.
6. Be able to work well under pressure
Newborn hearing screeners often work in busy environments with tight deadlines. They may have to complete a large number of screenings in a short period of time or meet other requirements for the facility where they’re working. Because of this, newborn hearing screeners must be able to work well under pressure and prioritize their tasks accordingly.
7. Stay up to date on changes in technology
Technology is constantly changing, and new advances in hearing screening equipment may be available as you work. It’s important for newborn hearing screeners to stay up to date on these changes so they can provide the best possible service to their clients. For example, some programs use a smartphone app instead of traditional screening tools.
As you gain experience working as a newborn hearing screener, you may also want to consider taking additional training courses to learn about other aspects of audiology. You may also choose to specialize in another area of audiology such as pediatric or adult hearing screening.
