Registered Polysomnographic Technologist - Sleep Center, Albany

Albany Medical Center • Albany, NY

1d • Onsite

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. This may involve polysomnography, diagnostic and therapeutic services or patient care and education. A Polysomnographic Technologist can perform the duties defined for a Polysomnographic Technician. The role involves collecting, analyzing, and integrating patient information to identify and meet patient-specific needs, preparing and calibrating equipment, performing sleep studies, implementing interventions, and scoring sleep/wake stages and clinical events to generate accurate reports. The technologist must demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and provide age-specific care and may oversee and perform difficult and unusual procedures.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or equivalent is required.
• Graduate with certificate of completion from a two-year training program in polysomnography preferred, or related field of study such as respiratory therapy.
• The equivalent of education and experience for the performance of duties assigned to this position and that meet the requirements for national credentialing in Polysomnography and the New York State Licensing Board for Polysomnography.
• New York State licensed as a Polysomnographic Technologist, Respiratory Therapist, or Respiratory Therapy Technician required.
• Registered Polysomnographic Technologist (RPSGT) issued by the National Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT).
• Current BLS/ACLS certification required with recertification every two years.

Nice To Haves

• Clinical experience as a Respiratory Therapist and/or Polysomnographic Technologist preferred.

Responsibilities

• Collect, analyze and integrate patient information in order to identify and meet the patient-specific needs (Physical/mental limitations, current emotional/physiological status regarding the testing procedure, pertinent medical/social history), 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.
• 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.
• Follow procedural protocols such as Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT), Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT), parasomnia studies, PAP, oxygen titration etc. to ensure collection of appropriate data.
• Follow “lights out” procedures to establish and document baseline values (such as body position, oxyhemoglobin 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).
• Follow “lights on” procedures to verify integrity of collected data and complete the data collection process (repeats the physiological and instrument calibrations and instructs the patient on completing questionnaires, etc.)
• Demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and provide age specific care in the treatment, assessment, and education of neonatal, pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients.
• Oversees and performs difficult and unusual procedures and therapeutic interventions.
• 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.

Benefits

• Access to information considered sensitive to Albany Med Health System, its patients, affiliates, and partners, including but not limited to HIPAA Protected Health Information and other information regulated by Federal and New York State statutes.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED