Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography)

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Oklahoma City (OK); On-site; USD 52,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

The Oklahoma City VA Health Care System is seeking Medical Instrument Technicians (Polysomnography) to support sleep studies for our Veterans as part of Specialty Care Service.

Applicants must meet citizenship and English language requirements; there are no specific educational requirements for this occupation, with education substitutable for experience at GS-4/GS-5 levels. Experience with PSG procedures and CPAP equipment is highly desirable.

Qualifications

• There are no specific educational requirements for this occupation.
• Education may be substituted for experience only at the GS-4 and GS-5 levels.
• English language proficiency with focus on medical terminology and patient care.

Responsibilities

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Appropriately prepares patient for procedure using standardized aseptic technique
• Provides an assessment of the patient's condition throughout the patient's stay in the Sleep Lab and responds appropriately when a patient's condition falls below the baseline assessment of what is considered to be stable
• Performs quality checks to ensure readiness for use during the procedure
• Participates in quality control/record keeping systems and measures to assure the accuracy and validity of results
• Will ensure that all equipment is kept clean and safe for use in the diagnostic examinations
• Sets up all necessary accessories or supplies and advises other medical personnel of new equipment - accessories or supplies

Skills

Sleep laboratory experience

CPAP knowledge

Medical terminology

Education

No specific education requirement

Education substitution for experience GS-4/GS-5

Tools

Polysomnograph equipment

Electroencephalogram setup

Job description

Summary

The Oklahoma City VA Health Care System is recruiting many Medical Instrument Technicians (Polysomnography) to help care for our Veterans as part of Specialty Care Service.

Qualifications

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. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

Basic Requirements

• United States Citizenship: Be a Citizen of the United States
• 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
  • For all specialties identified in this standard - Basic and Advanced Cardiac Life Support certifications are desirable
  • Training which does not result in official certification does not meet this definition
  • 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)
• 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
    • In addition - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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
      • Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (a) Knowledge of basic medical terminology (b) Ability to learn the components - operating characteristics - and settings of the equipment to be used (c) Ability to learn typical patient reactions to the basic procedures involved and ability to recognize signs of distress (d) Ability to learn the standard positions for the procedure being conducted (e) 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
    • In addition - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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
      • Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (a) Knowledge of standard medical terminology to interpret physician orders or instructions (b) Knowledge of common physical disabilities and ability to position patients for the examination or treatment (c) Ability to learn the normal and abnormal results for routine procedures to recognize and report obvious abnormalities (d) Ability to operate the equipment to administer routine/standard diagnostic treatment or procedures (e) Ability to perform standard operator maintenance on the equipment including the ability to disassemble - clean - reassemble - and calibrate the machine
  • GS-6: 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
    • In addition - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (a) Knowledge of standard - computerized polysomnographs for recording continuous all night physiological data including EEG - EOG - EKG - EMG and respiratory parameters (b) 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 (c) Knowledge of medical terminology and medical record organization to review medical records - sleep study orders - consent forms - medical charts - etc (d) Knowledge of polysmnographic procedural protocols (including overnight sleep studies - MSLT - MWT - PAP - etc.) (e) Knowledge of basic anatomy and physiology and the international 10-20 electrode placement system in order to conduct the sleep studies
    • Certification
      • Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) certification is desirable
  • GS-7: 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 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: Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (a) Knowledge of CPAP function and operation to select and fit appropriate PAP patient interface devices (b) Ability to independently titrate and document PAP level to achieve therapeutic goals (c) Knowledge of indications - complications - and contraindications of CPAP therapy (d) Knowledge of Bi-Level pressure titrations (e) 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
    • Certification
      • Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) certification is desirable
  • GS-8: 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: Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills and Abilities (a) Advanced knowledge or the International Classification of Sleep Disorders and the ability to recognize uncommon and/or rare sleep disorders (b) Ability to summarize and report polysomnographic data in narrative form (c) Knowledge of event characteristics (e.g. - respiratory - cardiac - sleep stage - seizures - etc.) and ability to take appropriate action (d) Ability to provide briefings and orientation to hospital staff including physicians
    • Certification
      • Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certifications are desirable
  • Preferred Experience: Sleep Lab Experience - Registration by the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT)
  • 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-4 to GS-8.
  • Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

  Duties

  • Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Appropriately prepares patient for procedure using standardized aseptic technique
  • Provides an assessment of the patient's condition throughout the patient's stay in the Sleep Lab and responds appropriately when a patient's condition falls below the baseline assessment of what is considered to be stable
  • Assures that the required equipment is carefully selected and properly presented as determined by the procedure being performed
  • Performs quality checks to ensure readiness for use during the procedure
  • Participates in quality control/record keeping systems and measures to assure the accuracy and validity of results
  • Will ensure that all equipment is kept clean and safe for use in the diagnostic examinations
  • Reports to supervisor and requests preventative maintenance as required
  • Able to perform routine maintenance and recognizes and reports malfunctioning equipment to Biomedical for repair or replacement
  • Makes minor adjustments to equipment which enhances diagnostic results
  • Maintains and monitors all necessary supplies stocked and available in the event of an emergency
  • Ensures proper cleaning and performs minor adjustments and maintenance
  • Performs the full range of complex procedures using specialized equipment that requires precise adjustments to respond to individual patient conditions or test sequences
  • Uses a practical knowledge of location and function of major body organs and structures in order to position the patient and/or connect monitoring equipment to take optimum advantage of equipment capabilities
  • Sets up all necessary accessories or supplies and advises other medical personnel of new equipment - accessories or supplies
  • Occasionally may assist in any daytime sleep study - whether it's a diagnostic daytime study - a split study - a PAP Titration - a Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT) - or a Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) test
  • Prepares - calibrates - interfaces - and operates all equipment used in polysomnographic procedures
  • Applies electroencephalogram (EEG) electrodes based on the International 10-20 electrode placement system
  • Applies electro-oculogram (EOG) - electromyogram (EMG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) per AASM standards
  • Applies pulse oximeter ear or finger probe
  • Thoracic and abdominal effort belts
  • Nasal/oral thermistor and thermocouple sensors to produce flow signals - and other diagnostic electrodes and equipment
  • Ensures patient comfort and proper function of applied electrodes and transducers
  • Monitors patient - diagnostic equipment - recording and video equipment throughout the study
  • Obtains artifact-free data and tracings
  • Record significant observations such as sleep stage - heart rate - respiration rate - oxygen saturation level - body position
  • Presence and/or absence of sleep apnea - snoring - myoclonus - bruxism - cardiac arrhythmias - sleep terrors
  • Annotates seizures - abnormal sleep behavior and significant respiratory events on the electroencephalographic records in real time
  • Responds appropriately to all situations involving patient care and maintains proper oxygen and CPAP settings
  • Set up applicable PAP therapy and select/fit appropriate interface
  • Independently titrate and document PAP level to achieve therapeutic goal
  • Recognize - report - and take action with events such as respiratory arrest - cardiac arrest - seizures - etc
  • Work Schedule: Full-time - Mon-Fri - Two shifts per week - 7:00pm - 8:30am - One shift per week - 7:00pm - 8:00am with rotating weekend and holiday coverage
  • Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
  • 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: Situational (Ad-hoc) as determined by agency policy Virtual: This is not a virtual position
  • Functional Statement #: 60687-A - 60688-A - 60689-A - 60690-A - 60691-A Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized