Polysomnographic Technologist

Inspire Health Medical Group•Fresno, CA

18h

About The Position

A sleep technologist works under the general supervision of the medical director or designee to provide comprehensive evaluation and treatment of sleep disorders. This includes in-center and out-of-center sleep testing, diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, comprehensive patient care, and direct patient education. The technologist is credentialed in sleep technology, can perform the duties of a sleep technician, and can provide oversight of other sleep center staff. The position involves preparing for and conducting sleep studies, monitoring data quality, documenting observations and interventions, scoring sleep stages and clinical events, and generating reports. The technologist also prepares portable monitoring equipment, downloads data, and follows cleaning and disinfection procedures. The role requires adherence to applicable safety, infection-control, patient privacy, and department policies. The work takes place in a well-lighted office environment with frequent interaction with a varied and diverse patient population. Employees may encounter chemical vapors or skin contact from cleaning and disinfecting solutions, as well as infectious agents, including bloodborne pathogens. The work involves operating sleep-study equipment, assisting patients with mobility, and a mix of sitting, standing, and walking. The stated salary is $24.00–$32.80 per hour.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Successful completion of an accredited educational program leading to a certificate or associate degree with an emphasis in sleep technology; or successful completion of a sleep technology program associated with a state-licensed and/or nationally accredited educational facility, or equivalent experience with documented proficiency in all competencies required of a sleep technician.
Certification by a nationally recognized certification board, holding an RST, RPSGT, or SDS credential.
Current CPR certification.
Minimum of 1 year of work-related experience.
Knowledge of testing procedures, protocols, and care of patients with sleep/wake disorders.
Knowledge of equipment used to test patients with sleep and wake disorders.
Ability to comply with applicable laws, guidelines, and standards regarding safety and infection control.
Ability to follow HIPAA policies to maintain the privacy and security of patient information.
Excellent customer service skills.
Ability to work hands-on with patients.
Good verbal and written communication skills.
Basic computer skills.
Ability to apply written instructions and standardized work practices.
Manual and finger dexterity and eye-hand coordination to operate sleep-study equipment; training on equipment is provided.
Ability to assist patients in and out of wheelchairs, including patients weighing up to 300 pounds.
Ability to perform the physical requirements of the role, including regularly lifting or moving up to 10 pounds, frequently up to 25 pounds, and occasionally up to 50 pounds.
Vision abilities including close, distance, color, and peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Responsibilities

Collect, analyze, and integrate patient information to identify and meet patient-specific needs, including physical or mental limitations, emotional or physiological status, and relevant medical or social history.
Review patient history and verify the medical order.
Follow sleep center protocols related to the sleep study.
Perform operational checks before initiating a study and ensure instruments are accurate and safe during recording.
Verify patient identification, collect documents, and obtain consent when the patient arrives.
Explain procedures and orient patients for in-center or out-of-center sleep testing.
Perform routine positive airway pressure (PAP) interface fitting and desensitization.
Follow protocols for procedures such as MSLT, MWT, parasomnia studies, PAP, and oxygen titration to ensure appropriate data collection.
Perform physiological calibrations, verify signal quality, and make necessary adjustments.
Follow lights-out procedures and establish and document baseline values, including body position, oxyhemoglobin saturation, and respiratory and heart rates.
Acquire data while monitoring tracing quality; identify, correct, and document artifacts.
Document routine observations, sleep stages, clinical events, procedural changes, and other significant events to support scoring and interpretation.
Implement appropriate interventions, including measures for patient safety and therapeutic interventions such as PAP or oxygen administration.
Follow lights-on procedures to verify data integrity and complete data collection, including repeating calibrations and checking patient questionnaires for completeness.
Score sleep/wake stages using professionally accepted guidelines.
Score clinical events, including respiratory and cardiac events, limb movements, and arousals, using AASM standards.
Generate accurate reports by tabulating sleep/wake and clinical-event data.
Prepare portable monitoring equipment and download data.
Clean and disinfect portable monitoring devices according to procedures.
Apply AASM scoring parameters for HSAT, identify artifacts, inadequate signals, and study failures, and generate accurate reports.
Provide oversight of other sleep center staff.
Comply with the Company's Employee Safety and Injury and Illness Prevention Program and department-specific safety policies and procedures.