Staff at Scottish optician Duncan and Todd Group have been given the opportunity to embark on a new career in audiology, through a Diploma in Higher Education in Hearing Aid Audiology.
The two-year training course, offered in conjunction with Queen Margaret’s University, is aimed at professionals already working in the health care industry and is a new venture for the group.
Duncan and Todd has recently introduced hearing care across the group and has invested heavily in practices, equipment and staff to grow audiology as a service.
Three of Duncan and Todd’s employees, Nikki Wood, Lewis Moir and Shona Ingram are about to embark on their second year of training
An area of healthcare which is often overlooked, Nikki, Lewis and Shona commenced the audiology course after learning more about benefits of effective hearing care and how it is vital to an individual’s health.
The students have backgrounds in lab work, dispensing optics and management.
Audiology student, Nikki Wood (44), primarily works in the Elgin branch and has been with the company for over 15 years.
She said: “I was attracted to the course after the Elgin branch received a visit and presentation on what audiology involved. The more they spoke about it, I realised that I found it interesting and was impressed with how much the technology involved could make such a difference to someone's life. I knew this was something I wanted to get involved with going forward.
“When the opportunity arose for Duncan and Todd to put us through the qualification, I knew I had to apply.
Aberdeen based Lewis (22), who was initially attracted because it was so different to the usual career opportunities said: “Audiology is a health sector that the public don’t know much about, especially the younger generation.
“Everything is so loud these days no matter where you go, whether its cinema or music, and it’s vital we look after our hearing just like we would our sight.”
A dispensing optician by trade, Shona (41) from Ellon, added: “After Duncan and Todd started introducing audiology into the branches, I spoke to some of the audiologists and thought it sounded like a great career. The main thing I want to do is to help patients overcome any hearing difficulty.”
Following an intensive learning regime, the students have three set days for their audiology training, which they study in addition to their optical based work. The course has a mix of campus weeks, online lectures and practical learning and they are assessed through various exams, practical assessments and case studies.
Lewis said: “My favourite aspect is the practical side of things, really getting to know the patient and actually understanding what you’re seeing is really interesting.
Shona added: “Although I enjoy the practical side, I really enjoy the theory. I’ve always enjoyed reading and rewriting, so being able to learn so much about the subject has been very enjoyable.
The course has allowed the trainees to collaborate, with the three students joining together to discuss various aspects of the course and problem solve assessments.
Nikki commented: “It’s been great working together throughout the course, if you’re struggling on a point we can discuss it and bounce ideas off each other.
“For a lot of the practical work its been great being able to practise on each other. It helps with our learning and confidence with patients. I think it would have been much more overwhelming if we were doing this individually.
Shona added: “We’ve formed a great friendship over the last year and I couldn’t have done it without them.”
The second year of the diploma focuses on rehabilitation and counselling, a topic that appealed strongly to the students in the first instance.
The trainee audiologists currently have their own patients and operate in a supervised capacity, which has already opened up their experience in terms of aftercare, however the second-year modules will provide more theory and advice on how to deal with particular situations.
Lewis said: “I have a huge interest in the counselling side of audiology, so I’m really looking forward to our second-year modules.
“Right now, I read the room to determine how the patient wants to take the next step. Depending on their audiogram results, patients may need some space to process the information in which I offer them to come back at a different time to speak. Likewise, some patients want to sort out the next steps there and then. Everyone is different.”
Following the completion of the Diploma in Higher Education in Hearing Aid Audiology, the students will be Registered Hearing Aid Dispensers (RHAD).
Dorothy Goodson, Duncan and Todd’s in-house audiology trainer, said: “This is a rewarding career where you help individuals with hearing loss and in return can improve their everyday quality of life.
“Making this diploma readily accessible to Duncan and Todd employees is a fantastic way to not only meet the demand of the service, but to help raise the importance of this requirement.
“The current bank of students are about to go into their second year and have already shown tremendous skill within this path, it’s been a joy to work with them.”
Duncan and Todd are committed to training staff and providing the best possible service to their patients, keeping up to date with the latest technology and appliances to make sure patients are comfortably with their prescription.
For more information on audiology, visit https://www.duncanandtodd.com/hearing-care/
