Cerumen Management Certification
Cerumen Management
Cerumen management refers to the practice of removing earwax (cerumen) from the ear canal. It is an important service provided by audiologists to ensure optimal hearing health and function.
Authority
The Cerumen Management Committee oversees cerumen management certification in Nova Scotia. It is composed of representatives from various professional backgrounds, including a hearing instrument practitioner, an audiologist, and an otolaryngologist.
Practitioners Eligibility and Requirements
Who Can Practice Cerumen Management?
Audiologists and hearing instrument practitioners who have successfully completed a cerumen management training program approved by the Cerumen Management Committee are eligible to provide cerumen management services.
Attestation
All audiologist registrants must complete an attestation on their NSCASLP database profile, indicating their intention to provide cerumen management and to confirm whether they can be listed on the certified audiologists' roster.
Educational Requirement
Recent graduates from a Canadian accredited master's program in audiology are deemed to have received adequate training in cerumen management and do not require additional proof of competency. However, other audiologists must provide a competency declaration and evidence of completing the educational requirements.Approved Programs
The Cerumen Management Committee has set specific criteria for approved cerumen management training programs. Any accepted educational program shall be a minimum half-day in length, and shall include information on:
• The necessity of informed consent
• Case history requirements
• Contraindications for removal
• Infection control procedures
• Basic anatomy and physiology of external ear canal and tympanic membrane
• Otoscopic inspection technique
• Otoscopic lighting options
• Cerumen removal tools
• Different methods of cerumen removal
• Identification and management of complications from debridement
• Discharging documentation
As stated above the Cerumen Management Committee has decided that audiologists who recently graduated from a Canadian-accredited master's program have covered the required information in their program. These recent graduates do not need to submit a course outline or proof of completion of the educational requirements.
If a registrant is uncertain whether a course will meet the requirements of the CMC, they may submit the course outline to be reviewed by the CMC.
To view the list of licensed audiologists authorized to perform cerumen management click here: List of audiologists authorized to perform cerumen management
To find out if a hearing aid instrument practitioner is authorized to perform cerumen management, please contact the Hearing Aid Society of Nova Scotia.