Registered Polysomnographic Technologist

Albany Medical Center•Albany, NY

16h•$70,068 - $108,605

About The Position

A Polysomnographic Technologist works under the general supervision of the clinical director (M.D., D.O., or PhD) or designee to provide comprehensive evaluation and treatment of sleep disorders. Work may involve polysomnography, diagnostic and therapeutic services, and patient care and education. The technologist may also perform duties defined for a Polysomnographic Technician. The role includes gathering and integrating patient information, determining testing parameters in coordination with the ordering physician or clinical director and laboratory protocols, preparing and operating equipment, conducting sleep studies, implementing appropriate interventions, documenting results, and scoring polysomnographic records. The technologist provides age-specific care and education to neonatal, pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients, and oversees and performs difficult or unusual procedures and therapeutic interventions.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
New York State license as a Polysomnographic Technologist, Respiratory Therapist, or Respiratory Therapy Technician.
Registered Polysomnographic Technologist (RPSGT) credential issued by the National Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT).
Current BLS/ACLS certification, with recertification every two years.
Equivalent education and experience may meet the education and experience requirements if they qualify the candidate to perform the assigned duties and meet national credentialing requirements in Polysomnography and New York State Licensing Board requirements.

Nice To Haves

Certificate of completion from a two-year polysomnography training program, or study in a related field such as respiratory therapy.
Clinical experience as a Respiratory Therapist and/or Polysomnographic Technologist.

Responsibilities

Collect, analyze, and integrate patient information to identify patient-specific needs and determine final testing parameters and procedures with the ordering physician or clinical director and laboratory protocols.
Complete and verify documentation.
Explain pre-testing, testing, and post-testing procedures to patients.
Prepare and calibrate equipment for testing, confirm proper functioning, and make adjustments as necessary.
Apply electrodes and sensors according to accepted published standards.
Perform physiologic calibrations to verify signals and make adjustments as necessary.
Fit patients with positive airway pressure (PAP) masks.
Follow protocols for procedures such as Multiple Sleep Latency Tests (MSLT), Maintenance of Wakefulness Tests (MWT), parasomnia studies, PAP, and oxygen titration.
Follow “lights out” procedures and establish and document baseline values, including body position, oxyhemoglobin saturation, and respiratory and heart rates.
Acquire polysomnographic data, monitor tracing quality, and correct artifacts or signal problems as necessary.
Document routine observations, sleep stages, clinical events, procedural changes, and significant events to support scoring and interpretation.
Implement appropriate interventions for patient safety and treatment, including continuous and bi-level positive airway pressure and oxygen administration.
Follow “lights on” procedures, verify the integrity of collected data, repeat physiologic and instrument calibrations, and instruct patients on completing questionnaires.
Recognize and provide age-specific care, assessment, treatment, and education for neonatal, pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients.
Oversee and perform difficult and unusual procedures and therapeutic interventions.
Score sleep/wake stages using professionally accepted guidelines.
Score clinical events, including respiratory events, cardiac events, limb movements, and arousals, according to center-specific protocols.
Generate accurate reports by tabulating sleep/wake and clinical event data.