Polysomnographic Tech

Memorial Health; Decatur (IL); On-site; USD 52,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

Memorial Home Services seeks a Polysomnographic Technologist to support comprehensive evaluation and treatment of sleep disorders under supervision of the clinical director. You will perform duties similar to a polysomnographic technician and may supervise and train other staff.

The role requires registration by the BRPT, CPR certification, and 1–3 years of polysomnography experience; some college coursework is preferable. Schedule may be PRN as needed.

Qualifications

• Registration by the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists.
• 1–3 years experience in polysomnography.
• CPR certified.
• Some college coursework preferable.

Responsibilities

• Gathers and analyzes patient information to identify needs and determine testing parameters.
• Prepare and calibrate equipment; apply electrodes and sensors.
• Perform polysomnographic procedures and data acquisition; monitor data quality.
• Score sleep stages and clinical events; generate reports.
• Provide patient transport and assist with interventions.
• Maintain documentation and ensure data accuracy.

Skills

Seizure disorders

Sleep staging

Sleep architecture

Age-specific care

CPR certification

Attention to detail

Education

BRPT registration

Job description

A Polysomnographic Technologist works under the general supervision of the clinical director or designee to provide comprehensive evaluation and treatment of sleep disorders. A Polysomnographic Technologist can perform the duties defined for a Polysomnographic Technician and may provide supervision and training of other staff.nnSchedulenPRNn

Education, Experience and/or Other Requirements

Registration by the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists. Some college-level course work is preferable. One to three years experience in polysomnography. Must be CPR certified.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• Must be knowledgeable about identifying seizure disorders, sleep staging and respiratory related events.
• Knowledge of normal sleep architecture.
• Knowledge of age specific treatment, assessment, and education of neonatal, pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients.
• Ability to recognize and provide age specific treatment, assessment, and education of neonatal, pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients.
• Ability to draw arterial bloods gases.
• Ability to pay close attention to detail and to ensure accuracy of reports and data.

General Skill Requirements

In addition to the Essential Functions and Qualifications listed above, to perform the job successfully an individual must also possess the following General Skill Requirements.

• Adaptability – Adapts to changes in the work environment; Manages competing demands; Accepts criticism and feedback; Changes approach or method to best fit the situation; ability to work with frustrating situations; work under pressure and on an irregular schedule such as unscheduled overtime, unanticipated changes in work pace; Works with numerous distractions.
• Attendance and Punctuality – Schedules time off in advance; Begins working on time; Keeps absences within guidelines; Ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent; Arrives at meetings and appointments on time.
• Communications – Expresses ideas and thoughts verbally; Expresses ideas and thoughts in written form; Exhibits good listening and comprehension; Keeps others adequately informed; Selects and uses appropriate communication methods.
• Cooperation – Establishes and maintains effective relations; Exhibits tact and consideration; Displays positive outlook and pleasant manner; Offers assistance and support to co-workers; Works cooperatively in group situations; Works actively to resolve conflicts.
• Job Knowledge – Competent in required job skills and knowledge; Exhibits ability to learn and apply new skills; Keeps abreast of current developments; Requires minimal supervision; Displays understanding of how job relates to others; Uses resources effectively.
• Judgment – displays willingness to make decisions; Exhibits sound and accurate judgment; Supports and explains reasoning for decisions; Includes appropriate people in decision-making process; Makes timely decisions; ability to work with and maintain confidential information.
• Problem solving – Identifies problems in a timely manner; Gathers and analyzes information skillfully; Develops alternative solutions; Resolves problems in early stages; Works well in group problem solving situations.
• Quality – Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; Displays commitment to excellence; Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Applies feedback to improve performance; Monitors own work to ensure quality.
• Quantity – Meets productivity standards; Completes work in timely manner; Strives to increase productivity; Works quickly; Achieves established goals.
• Concentration – Maintains attention to detail over extended period of time; continually aware of variations in changing situations.
• Supervision – ability to perform work independently or with minimal supervision; ability to assign and/or review work; train and/or evaluate other employees.

Essential Functions and Job Duties

• Gathers and analyzes patient information
  • Collects, analyzes and integrates patient information in order to identify and meet specific patient needs and to determine the final testing parameters and procedures.
  • Completes and verifies documentation.
  • Explains pre-testing, testing, and post-testing procedures to patient.
  • Obtains “report out” from night techs in absence of chief technologist.
• Testing Preparation Procedures
  • Prepare and calibrate equipment required testing to determine proper functioning and make adjustments if necessary.
  • Apply electrodes and sensors according to accepted published standards.
  • Perform appropriate physiologic calibration to ensure proper signals and make adjustments if necessary.
  • Perform positive airway pressure mask fitting.
• Polysomnographic procedures
  • Prepares and calibrates equipment required for testing to determine proper functioning and make adjustments if necessary.
  • Applies electrodes and sensors according to accepted published standards.
  • Performs appropriate physiologic calibrations to ensure proper signals and make adjustments if necessary.
  • Performs positive airway pressure mask fitting.
  • Follows procedural protocols to ensure collection of appropriate data.
  • Follows “lights out” procedures to establish and document baseline values.
  • Performs Polysomnographic data acquisition while monitoring study-tracing quality to ensure signals are artifact-free and make adjustments if necessary.
  • Documents routine observations including sleep stages and clinical events, changes in procedure, and significant events in order to facilitate scoring and interpretation of polysomnographic events.
  • Implements appropriate interventions.
  • Follows “lights on” procedures to verify integrity of collected data and complete the data collection process.
  • Demonstrates the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and provide age specific treatment, assessment, and education of neonatal, pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients.
  • Oversees and performs difficult and unusual procedures and therapeutic interventions.
  • Provides patient transport.
• Polysomnographic Record Scoring
  • Scores sleep/wake stages by applying professionally accepted guidelines.
  • Scores clinical events according to center specific protocols.
  • Generates accurate reports by tabulating sleep/wake and clinical event data.
  • Maintains interscorer comparison reliability according to guidelines.
  • Demonstrate the ability to analyze EEG and EKG abnormalities.
  • Appropriate follow-up with physician.
• Service management and Professional issues
  • Complies with applicable laws, regulations, guidelines, and standards regarding safety and infection control issues.
  • Performs routine and complex equipment care and maintenance.
  • Evaluates sleep study related equipment and inventory.
  • Responds to patient’s questions with appropriate information.
  • Demonstrates the ability to analyze complex situations and apply policy.
• Maintains AASM standards for staff education and site accreditation.
  • Maintains knowledge of trends and developments in field of sleep related disorders.
  • Takes educational trips as assigned.
  • Reads current literature.
  • Maintains contact with other sleep apnea centers as needed.
  • Current with continuing education to maintain license.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Environmental Factors

Occasional exposure to moderate environmental variations, above-normal noise level, and/or unpleasant substances. Limited exposure to hazardous or potential injurious elements or conditions.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• While performing the duties of the job the employee is required to stand, bend and reach 10 to 30% of the time.
• The employee will frequently be required to lift, push and pull at least 5 to 10 pounds.
• Ability to attend to visual details.
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing.
• Ability to receive and comprehend written and oral communications.

Mental Demands

• Ability to work under stress and to adapt to changing conditions.
• Plan sequence of operations or actions.
• Comprehend written basic instructions, safety rules, office memoranda at a high school graduate level.