Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography)

Full Job Description

The Medical Instrument Technician Polysomnography position is located within Medical Service at the Dayton VA Medical Center, Dayton, Ohio and works independently under the Chief of Pulmonology or designee.

The primary responsibility of this position is monitor and operate equipment used in sleep studies.

Performs other related duties as assigned by the immediate Supervisor and/or the Chief of Medical Service.

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education.

There are no specific educational requirements for this occupation. Education may be substituted for experience only at the GS-4 and GS-5 levels.

See the grade requirements part of this standard for information regarding educational substitutions. Licensure or Certification.

Licensure or Certification is not required for this occupation; however, it is strongly desirable at GS-6 or above as evidence of possession of the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities.

For certain functional areas at the higher levels or supervisory assignments, specific certifications appropriate to the specialty are indicated in this standard under "Titles and Certification/Registrations".

English Language Proficiency. Medical Instrument Technicians must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Polysomnography Technicians operate the electroencephalograph and other devices to record the electrical activity of the brain during sleep.

Registration is offered by the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT) Grade Determinations: GS-8 (a) Experience.

At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics related to the duties of the positions to be filled.

This would be experience which provided a knowledge of the more complex procedures as well as knowledge of the uncommon and/or rare sleep disorders.

In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 1.

Advanced knowledge or the International Classification of Sleep Disorders and the ability to recognize uncommon and/or rare sleep disorders. 2.

Ability to summarize and report polysomnographic data in narrative form. 3.

Knowledge of event characteristics (e.g., respiratory, cardiac, sleep stage, seizures, etc.) and ability to take appropriate action. 4.

Ability to provide briefings and orientation to hospital staff including physicians. (c) Certification. No certification or registration is required.

Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certifications are also desirable for employees at this level. (d) Assignment. This represents the full performance level.

At this level Polysomnographic Technicians are able to interact fully with the patient and physician to diagnose sleep disorders including those that are uncommon or rare.

They are able to conduct full sleep studies including overnight studies and evaluate the relationship of events, sleep stages, and possible medical conditions which influence or result from events occurring during sleep.

They anticipate problems likely to occur during the sleep study and prepare for such situations, make changes in established procedures, or recommend alternative courses of action.

They are able to mentor lower graded technicians. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-8. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-8 to GS-8.

Physical Requirements: Some of the work involves regular and recurring physical exertion in standing, bending, kneeling, reaching, gripping, and walking.

Moderate to heavy lifting is required to assist patients and operate equipment. Extended periods of sitting may be required when attending meetings or completion of administrative tasks.

Work may require physical stamina, normal use of arms and legs, and good visual and auditory acuity. Normal safety precautions and practices are required for working in a healthcare environment.

Position requires emotional stability to deal effectively with multitasking and high-volume patient flow and competing demands. Major Duties:

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The incumbent will serve as a vital member of the sleep medicine program.

Overall responsibilities include taking an active role in portable sleep study and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) programs, and support of sleep-related treatment and teaching programs.

The sleep technician performs a full range of standard as well as portable sleep monitoring examinations with responsibility for properly calibrating and maintaining all necessary equipment.

Testing equipment will record multiple respiration parameters for diagnosing sleep apnea with nasal and oral airflow, respiratory effort, body position, oximetry, snoring, and heart rate.

Other primary duties include but may not be limited to the following: Downloads, confirms adequate recording, and electronically transfers reports to the electronic health record folder for completion.

Scores sleep studies and alerts providers of critical or urgent results. Assists in communicating sleep study results with patients and arranges for appropriate follow-up in the sleep clinic.

Independently programs and sets up initial positive airway pressure (PAPP) equipment for issue to Veteran based on prescription, including pressure adjustments per prescription or provider recommendation.

Works with a variety of brand and types of positive airway pressure (PAP) equipment such as CPAP, BiPAP, ASV, AVAPS, and others as well as conducting mask fittings to assure optimal mask seal and patient comfort.

Educates Veterans on safe and proper use of PAP machine, mask, and associated equipment to assure optimal function and sleep quality. This may be done in a group or in one-on-one formats.

Ensure patient's significant other or caregiver fully understands setup procedures and function of BiPAP/CPAP unit.

Troubleshoots PAP equipment in CPAP clinic or in other settings as required and evaluates mask interfaces to determine causes for poor efficacy, compliance, or need for equipment replacement to correct problems whenever possible or discuss with sleep specialist if needed.

Ability to fill in as overnight sleep technician responsibilities in case of emergencies while following duty hour limitations or overtime protocols.

Work Schedule: Sunday - Saturday (7:30pm to 7:00am) Compressed/Flexible: Available Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases Above Minimum Rate of Grade: When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).

Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.

Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.

Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 93079-A Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized