Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography)

Job Title

Allied Health Professional

Duties

The duties include:

• 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

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

US Department of Veterans Affairs