Career Center

The Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography) (PSG Technician) 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. 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. English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English (to be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA, applicants must be proficient in written and spoken English). 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. 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. Grade Determinations: GS-4 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 position to be filled. Six months of this experience may have been in medically related fields such as nursing assistant, practical nursing, or similar fields. The remaining six months must have been in operating diagnostic and therapeutic equipment covered by this occupation. OR, Education. Successful completion of two years of education above high school or an associate's degree with a major field of study directly related to the medical instrument technician occupation. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of basic medical terminology. Ability to learn the components, operating characteristics, and settings of the equipment to be used. Ability to learn typical patient reactions to the basic procedures involved and ability to recognize signs of distress. Ability to learn the standard positions for the procedure being conducted. Ability to communicate orally and in writing. GS-5 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 position to be filled. This would be experience in operating equipment related to the particular specialization for which application is made or in related functional areas. Experience gained in the operation of equipment for animal diagnosis or treatment may be credited through this grade level. OR, Education. Successful completion of 4 academic years above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation, or a bachelor's degree in a major field of study appropriate to medical instrument technician functions. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of standard medical terminology to interpret physician orders or instructions. Knowledge of common physical disabilities and ability to position patients for the examination or treatment. Ability to learn the normal and abnormal results for routine procedures to recognize and report obvious abnormalities. Ability to operate the equipment to administer routine/standard diagnostic treatment or procedures. Ability to perform standard operator maintenance on the equipment including the ability to disassemble, clean, reassemble, and calibrate the machine. GS-6: 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. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of standard, computerized polysomnographs for recording continuous all night physiological data including EEG, EOG, EKG, EMG and respiratory parameters. Knowledge of standard devices such as oximeters, respiratory effort devices, nasal pressure devices, thermistors, thermocouples, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, and laboratory computers including the ability to calibrate and operate the equipment and recognize and eliminate recording artifacts. Knowledge of medical terminology and medical record organization to review medical records, sleep study orders, consent forms, medical charts, etc. Knowledge of polysmnographic procedural protocols (including overnight sleep studies, MSLT, MWT, PAP, etc.). Knowledge of basic anatomy and physiology and the international 10-20 electrode placement system in order to conduct the sleep studies. GS-7 : 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 the individual with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to independently conduct difficult but standardized polysomnography examinations.. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of CPAP function and operation to select and fit appropriate PAP patient interface devices. Ability to independently titrate and document PAP level to achieve therapeutic goals. Knowledge of indications, complications, and contraindications of CPAP therapy. Knowledge of Bi-Level pressure titrations. Ability to recognize changes seen during the PSG tracing and identify all stages of sleep. This includes the ability to score and analyze sleep stages in clinical polysomnography recordings. GS-8: 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: Advanced knowledge or the International Classification of Sleep Disorders and the ability to recognize uncommon and/or rare sleep disorders. Ability to summarize and report polysomnographic data in narrative form. Knowledge of event characteristics (e.g., respiratory, cardiac, sleep stage, seizures, etc.) and ability to take appropriate action. Ability to provide briefings and orientation to hospital staff including physicians. Preferred Experience: At least 2-4 years of experience in performing overnight polysomnography and scoring of the sleep studies according to AASM scoring manual - experience scoring on the fly; Certification by the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists as a Registered Polysomnographic Technologist or equivalent; Basic and/or Advanced Cardiac Life Support (BLS) certification. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G27 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-04 to GS-08. Physical Requirements: This position requires potentially long periods of walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. ["The Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography) assesses patients, prepares and calibrates Nocturnal home sleep testing equipment, and can score these studies and ready them for physician interpretation. The sleep technician performs patient set up, calibration, acquisition of data, trouble shooting of equipment (if needed), and removal and sterilization of electrodes after completion of study. The incumbent will also document appropriately in the electronic medical record. This is a non-supervisory position that will provide support for the G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center Sleep Disorders Center to advance the strategic goals of the ORH TeleSleep Program. The incumbent will provide care thorough outpatient clinics at the Medical Center, outlying community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), inpatient evaluation, and telehealth modalities under the guidelines and oversight provided by the Medical Director of the Sleep Medicine Program and Sleep Lab Supervisor. Duties of the Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography) include, but is not limited to: The PSG Technician independently carries out duties for the assigned sleep lab. The technologist is expected to resolve problems with equipment failure and make substitutions for equipment when necessary. Situations not covered by instructions of standard procedures (i.e., sudden unexpected changes in the patient's condition) are reported to the supervisor and medical staff. Follows the supervisory chain of commands. Adheres to information security and privacy measures. Completes 10 sleep related CEUs yearly for maintaining knowledge and skills and participates in formal training, -service, workshops and conferences. Annually develops and evaluates professional and personal goals. Follows the practice and parameters of sleep testing as per Sleep Lab guideline, if applicable Follows policies and procedures for Home Sleep Testing per Sleep Lab guidelines, if applicable Able to cover for call ins / vacation with appropriate lead times Follows sleep lab and medical center policies The technologist is responsible for selecting and adapting equipment and instructions. Collect, analyze and integrate patient information in order to identify and meet the patient-specific needs. Prepares and calibrates Nocturnal and Home Sleep Testing equipment required for testing to determine proper functioning and make adjustments if necessary. Apply electrodes and sensors according to accepted published standards. Perform appropriate physiologic calibrations to ensure proper signals and make adjustments if necessary. f) Perform positive airway pressure (PAP) mask fitting. Follow procedural protocols for Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT), Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT), adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV), and parasomnia studies, PAP, oxygen titration and Inspire ® Device Activation, etc. Inspire device titration to ensure collection of appropriate data. Follow \"lights out\" procedures to establish and document baseline values (such as body position, oxyhemoglobin saturation, respiratory a Completes all medical record documentation in CPRS within prescribed timeframes. Scores sleep/wake stages by applying professionally accepted guidelines. Score clinical events such as respiratory events, cardiac events, limb movements, arousals etc. according to center specific protocols. Able to do Cardio-Pulmonary scoring for Home Sleep Testing. Generate accurate reports by tabulating sleep/wake and clinical event data. Able to properly explain the hookup process for Home Sleep Testing to patients. Maintains the cleanliness of all equipment with manufacturer recommended cleaning methods. Maintains Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification. Additional duties, as assigned. Work Schedule: Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 7:30 am- 4:00 pm or 8:00 am- 4:30 pm; 8:00 pm - 6:00 am four nights weekly; or 6:00 pm - 7:30 am three nights weekly. Telework: Available\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]