Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography)

Summary The Medical Instrument Technician - Polysomnographic Technologist (MIT/PSGT) at this level perform duties which are routine and standardized in nature with some supervision. Assignments at this level require knowledge of basic medical terminology as well as common sleep terminology. Qualifications Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Citizenship of the United States(Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA PolicyEducationThere are no specific educational requirements for this occupationEducation may be substituted for experience only at the GS-4 and GS-5 levelsSee the grade requirements part of this standard for information regarding educational substitutionsLicensure or CertificationLicensure or Certification is not required for this occupationhowever - it is strongly desirable at GS-6 or above as evidence of possession of the essential knowledge - skills - and abilitiesFor 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""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: Medical Instrument Technician (Trainee) - GS-4 ExperienceAt 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 filledSix months of this experience may have been in medically related fields such as nursing assistant - practical nursing - or similar fieldsThe remaining six months must have been in operating diagnostic and therapeutic equipment covered by this occupationExperience gained in the operation of equipment for animal diagnosis or treatment may be credited at this levelOR EducationSuccessful 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 occupationIn addition - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of basic medical terminologyAbility to learn the components - operating characteristics - and settings of the equipment to be usedAbility to learn typical patient reactions to the basic procedures involved and ability to recognize signs of distressAbility to learn the standard positions for the procedure being conductedAbility to communicate orally and in writingMedical Instrument Technician (Trainee) - GS-5 ExperienceAt 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 filledThis would be experience in operating equipment related to the particular specialization for which application is made or in related functional areasExperience gained in the operation of equipment for animal diagnosis or treatment may be credited through this grade levelOR EducationSuccessful 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 functionIn addition - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of standard medical terminology to interpret physician orders or instructionsKnowledge of common physical disabilities and ability to position patients for the examination or treatmentAbility to learn the normal and abnormal results for routine procedures to recognize and report obvious abnormalitiesAbility to operate the equipment to administer routine/standard diagnostic treatment or proceduresAbility to perform standard operator maintenance on the equipment including the ability to disassemble - clean - reassemble - and calibrate the machineMedical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography) - GS-6 ExperienceAt 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 filledIn 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 parametersKnowledge 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 artifactsKnowledge of medical terminology and medical record organization to review medical records - sleep study orders - consent forms - medical charts - etcKnowledge 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 studiesCertificationNo certification or registration is required at this levelBasic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) certification is desirableMedical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography) - GS-7 ExperienceAt 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 filledThis would be experience which provided the individual with the knowledge - skills - and abilities to independently conduct difficult but standardized polysomnography examinationsIn addition - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of CPAP function and operation to select and fit appropriate PAP patient interface devicesAbility to independently titrate and document PAP level to achieve therapeutic goalsKnowledge of indications - complications - and contraindications of CPAP therapyKnowledge of Bi-Level pressure titrationsAbility to recognize changes seen during the PSG tracing and identify all stages of sleepThis includes the ability to score and analyze sleep stages in clinical polysomnography recordingsCertificationNo certification or registration is requiredBasic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) certification is desirableMedical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography) - GS-8 ExperienceAt 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 filledThis would be experience which provided a knowledge of the more complex procedures as well as knowledge of the uncommon and/or rare sleep disordersIn 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 disordersAbility to summarize and report polysomnographic data in narrative formKnowledge of event characteristics (e.g. - respiratory - cardiac - sleep stage - seizures - etc.) and ability to take appropriate actionAbility to provide briefings and orientation to hospital staff including physiciansCertificationNo certification or registration is requiredBasic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certifications are also desirable for employees at this levelQualifications continued in Education section below. Duties Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties include - but are not limited to: The RPSGT independently carries out duties for the assigned sleep labResolve problems with equipment failure and make substitutions for equipment when necessarySituations not covered by instructions regarding standard procedures (i.e. - sudden unexpected changes in the patient's condition) are reported to the supervisor and medical staffResponsible for selecting and adapting equipment and techniques to individual patients in order to comply with the physician's instructionsCollect - analyze - and integrate patient information in order to identify and meet patient specific needsPrepares and calibrates Home Sleep Testing equipment required for testing to determine proper functioning and adjust as necessaryApply electrodes and sensors according to accepted published standards5Perform appropriate physiologic calibrations to ensure proper signals and make adjustments if necessaryPerform positive airway pressure (PAP) mask fittingFollow 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 - etcto ensure the collection of appropriate dataFollow \"lights out\" procedures to establish and document baseline values (such as body position - oxyhemoglobin saturation - respiratory and heart rates - etc.)Completes all medical record documentation in CPRS within prescribed timeframesScores sleep/wake stages by applying professionally accepted guidelinesScore clinical events such as respiratory events - cardiac events - limb movements - arousals etcaccording to center specific protocolsAble to do Cardio-Pulmonary scoring for Home Sleep TestingGenerate accurate reports by tabulating sleep/wake and clinical event dataMaintains the cleanliness of all equipment with manufacturer recommended cleaning methodsWork Schedule: Friday - Sunday 7:00pm - 7:00 am - subject to change based on the needs of the facilityRecruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not 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) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior [work experience] or military service experienceParental 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 childChild 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 $416.66Retirement: 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 positionFunctional Statement #: 00770F - 00771F - 00772F - 00773F - 00774F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized