Neurology Technician

UPMC • Altoona, PA

89d

About The Position

UPMC Altoona is currently looking for a casual Neurology Technician to work between the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The technician will provide on-call coverage as well for weekends and holidays, rotating with other technologists.

Requirements

• Current licensure by the Commonwealth of PA as a Licensed Practical Nurse or graduate of an EEG/EP school.
• 1 year training in an allied health field would be considered.
• Certification in CPR.
• Certification in dysrhythmia course.
• Ability to score polysomnographic (preferred).
• Strongly encourage registration in Neurology or polysomnography.
• 5 years experience performing EEGs (preferred).
• 5 years experience performing polysomnography testing (preferred).

Responsibilities

• Recognizes and responds appropriately to patient's medical problems and physiological events, especially cardiac dysrhythmias, respiratory events, and seizures.
• Safely lifts and moves patients without harm to patient or self.
• Ensures safety and welfare of all patients, including those pediatric, psychiatric, and geriatric with special needs.
• Checks availability and function of emergency equipment.
• Complies with universal infection control procedures.
• Properly disinfects and sterilizes appropriate electrodes, transducers, and equipment.
• Handles hazardous materials according to MSDS.
• Prepares and assists with EMG and NCV.
• Assures that an adequate clinical history is available to correlate with the neurological study to be performed.
• Regularly consults with others as necessary to obtain a complete clinical history.
• Performs general office duties: scheduling patients, maintaining necessary records, proofreading and processing reports, and completing monthly reports as needed.
• Participates in CPI process.
• Administers medication when indicated for proper completion of departmental testing.
• Performs chart review prior to patient testing.
• Prepares patient for testing by explaining test, applying electrodes, and assuring patient comfort.
• Performs EEG and Evoked Potential Testing, adjusting patient and/or electrode positioning to obtain quality studies.
• Provides preliminary patient test results to physician or nursing unit.
• Recognizes an emergency and communicates utilizing the critical values list.
• Receives/Records telephone EEGs.
• Communicates with transmitting hospital and provides instruction during telephone EEG.
• Generates appropriate documentation.
• Demonstrates ability to use reasonable initiative and judgment in applying practice theories of sleep medicine.
• Reviews patient's record in light of protocols for studies ordered and recognizes main sleep/wake complaint.
• Gathers information on patient's history and Bedtime Questionnaire to assess patient's current medications, recent caffeine or alcohol ingestion, current sleep pattern, and need for treatment intervention during testing.
• Contacts ordering physician or ISM medical director to clarify unclear or inappropriate orders and to communicate information about the patient's status.
• Sets up and calibrates monitoring equipment.
• Measures and applies appropriate EEG electrodes using International 10-20 system.
• Applies appropriate EKG, EMG, and EOG monitoring electrodes.
• Places and securely attaches recording transducers to measure airflow, respiratory effort, oximetry, and sometimes transcutaneous CO2.
• Performs physiological calibrations, verifies patient maneuvers, institutes lights out, records and monitors collection of patient data.
• Recognizes and records clinical and physiological events, notes and corrects equipment malfunctions.
• Alters patient's environment, monitors and changes patient's body position as needed to obtain the required sleep/wake data.
• Carefully wakes patients and records post-test calibrations.
• Removes electrodes and transducers and assists patient with monitoring care as needed.
• Scores polysomnograms and generates reports summarizing sleep/wake periods, REM episodes, arousal analysis, EEG phenomena, cardiac events, respiratory events, limb movements, and other physiological events according to current guidelines.
• Understands indications, contraindications, and adverse effects of nasal continuous and bi-level positive airway pressure (NCPAP and bi-level ventilation) and oxygen administration.
• Applies and titrates therapy based on physician order and established protocols.
• Participates in daily duties in Sleep Clinic.

Benefits

• Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran

What This Job Offers

• Education Level: Associate degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees