Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography) - RPSGT

About the role

The primary duties of the Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography) - RPSGT are to independently monitor patients during all stages of sleep utilizing a variety of sophisticated recording devices, score and analyze sleep stages in clinical polysomnographic (PSG) recordings, and perform interventions, such as positive airway pressure and oxygen therapies, with minimal supervision.

Responsibilities

• Receives/acts on assignments for a variety of difficult examinations on compromised patients for planned, urgent & emergent tests.
• Performs full range of complex procedures using specialized equipment requiring precise adjustments to respond to individual patient needs, conditions or test sequences.
• Performs sleep monitoring (PSG) on individuals with variety of sleep disorders.
• Explains procedures and positions patient to insure comfort during variety of tests, taking into account the patient's age, mental and physical status.
• Applies electrodes according to recognized standards using The American Academy of Sleep Medicine Manual for the Scoring of Sleep and Associated Events.
• Applies thoracic and abdominal transducer; pulse oximeter finger or ear probe; respiratory effort belts; nasal/oral sensors; and other equipment.
• Recognizes sleep apnea, sleep movements, nocturnal seizures, and parasomnias such as nocturnal myoclonus and rapid eye movement (REM) behavior disorder; makes adjustments in recording parameters to optimize performance of sleep studies.
• Annotates seizures, abnormal sleep behavior and significant respiratory events on electroencephalographic records in real time.
• Recognizes artifacts, movements and diagnostic findings making changes in recording techniques and parameters to optimize display of the phenomenon.
• Scans and examines environment of recording to detect/eliminate possible sources of artifacts, recognizes artifacts as they occur in real time; works rapidly to diagnose/eliminate artifacts, in order to preserve integrity of recording.
• Maintains inventory of supplies and initiates purchase requests.
• Ensures that all equipment is kept clean and safe for use by the CPAP patient.
• Prepares, calibrates, interfaces, and operates all equipment used in polysomnographic procedures.

Requirements

This is a public announcement and is open to All US Citizens.

Note: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

This announcement is open continuous. Certificates will be issued to the hiring manager on a weekly basis until all positions have been filled. Announcement will remain open until all vacancies are filled and may close sooner than 9/11/2026.

Qualifications

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.
• 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 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.
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
• 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.
• 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).