Kan. Admin. Regs. § 28-4-608 - Qualifications and training of support personnel

(a) Each person who screens the hearing of newborns and infants and who is not licensed in Kansas for hearing screening shall meet the following criteria:

(1) Be 18 years of age or older;

(2) have a high school diploma or its equivalent;

(3) be current with the immunizations required by the medical care facility and be free of infectious diseases transmittable to newborns and infants; and

(4) complete the required training as specified in subsection (c).

(b) A training program for the support personnel at each medical care facility shall be established under the direction of the staff audiologist, consulting audiologist, or physician as identified in K.A.R. 28-4-603(a)(2) and (3).

(c) The training program shall include the following:

(1) Instruction in the following:

(A) The operation of the screening equipment;

(B) the anatomy and physiology of the ear;

(C) the nature of the responses being measured;

(D) patient and non-patient factors that influence responses;

(E) the hearing screening procedures, including documentation of results;

(F) the confidentiality requirements;

(G) the communication skills necessary to provide accurate and appropriate information;

(H) safety and infection control procedures, including universal precautions for blood-borne pathogens and tuberculosis, according to the medical care facility's guidelines;

(I) the medical care facility's emergency procedures; and

(J) risk management and incident-reporting procedures; and

(2) supervised practice and individual observation and assessment to determine the ability of the support person to perform the duties associated with hearing screening, which shall include the following:

(A) Working independently, accurately, and consistently;

(B) meeting the physical demands of the hearing screening process, including applying small objects safely to each newborn's and infant's ears and head; and

(C) following the precise sequence of instructions for the hearing screening protocol.

(d) All support personnel shall receive ongoing assessment of proficiency and shall receive retraining, as specified in K.A.R. 28-4-604(f)(1).

Notes

Kan. Admin. Regs. § 28-4-608

Authorized by and implementing K.S.A. 65-1,157a; effective July 2, 2004.