Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography)

Department of Veterans Affairs • Iowa City, IA

67d • Onsite

About The Position

The Polysomnography Technologist works under the general supervision of the Sleep Lab Supervisor and/or clinical director (M.D.) or designee to provide comprehensive evaluation and treatment of sleep disorders. This may involve polysomnography, diagnostic and therapeutic services or patent care and education. Can provide supervision to a Polysomnography trainee. Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Responsibilities

• Administrative: The Polysomnographic Technologist must be up to date on all policies and procedures.
• Clinical: Collect, analyze and integrate patient information In order to identify and meet the patient-specific needs, and to determine final testing parameters/procedures in conjunction with the ordering physician or clinical director and laboratory protocols.
• Complete and verify documentation.
• Explain pre testing, testing, and post-testing procedures to the patient.
• Informs patients on usage of all PAP equipment during titration studies.
• Testing Preparation Procedures: Prepare and calibrate equipment required for testing to determine proper functioning and make adjustments if necessary.
• Apply electrodes and sensors according to accepted published standards.
• Perform appropriate physiologic calibrations to ensure proper signals and make adjustments if necessary
• Perform positive airway pressure (PAP) mask fitting.
• Polysomnographic Procedures: Follow procedural protocols to ensure collection of appropriate data.
• Follow "lights out' procedures to establish and document baseline values (such as body position. ox hemoglobin saturation, respiratory and heart rates, etc.)
• Perform Polysomnographic data acquisition while monitoring study-tracing quality to ensure signals are artifact-free and make adjustments, if necessary.
• Document routine observations including sleep stages and clinical events, changes in procedure and significant events in order to facilitate scoring and Interpretation of polysomnographic results.
• Implement appropriate interventions (Including actions necessary for patient safety and therapeutic intervention such as continuous and bi-level positive airway pressure, oxygen administration, etc.)
• Inspire fine tuning. Documents baseline, makes changes in Inspire voltages to ensure a quality signal free of artifact.
• Follow "lights on' procedures to verify integrity of collected data and complete the data collection process.
• Polysomnographic Record Scoring: Score sleep/wake stages by applying professionally accepted guidelines. Score clinical events(such as respiratory events. cardiac events, limb movements. arousals etc.,) according to center specific protocols.
• Generate accurate reports by tabulating sleep/wake and clinical event data.
• Upon request for an emergency procedure with an immediate report, the results will be shown to the interpreting physician as soon as the test is completed and often must convey the report to the requesting physician.
• Although not responsible for interpretation of the results, the incumbent must know through experience how to recognize abnormalities and promptly bring them to the attention of the supervisor.
• The incumbent shall review the patient's chart and record pertinent symptoms, medical history, medications and other lab results.
• PAP Monitoring: As a diagnostic tool, applies CPAP, BPAP, ASV and AVAP when performing polysomnogram studies per physician's diagnosis and request while continuously monitoring equipment in use.
• Makes independent judgment for changes in the setting of air pressure needed in each individual case.
• As a diagnostic tool, introduces supplemental oxygen, with or without positive pressure therapy, and titrate oxygen dose as necessary upon physician's request.

Benefits

• 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 experience.
• 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)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Industry: Administration of Human Resource Programs
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees