The incumbent will serve as a Medical Instrument Technician Trainee in the Joint Venture Sleep Center, and at the VA clinic as directed. The incumbent will train to perform a variety of polysomnographic studies under supervision in the sleep laboratory; routine polysomnogram, PAP titration studies including CPAP, Bi-level, ASV technologies, Home Sleep Testing.

Duties

Duties will vary based on the grade. Duties listed below is at the GS-5 grade. This position requires supervision to trouble shoot equipment issues and works with the Sleep Lab Supervisor on staff education and training. Will also have responsibility for education of veterans and family members as well as following all technical and hospital, federal and state regulations following recommendations of the AASM, JCAHO, BRPT, and the AAST. The incumbent will train to have a basic understanding of high and low filters, sensitivities, gain, AC / DC filters and inputs, bio-calibrations, machine calibrations, instrumentation and electrical safety. The incumbent will train to multi-task and is expected to have the ability to work well with other staff members. The incumbent is expected to attend staff meetings as well as maintaining CEC's as required by state and federal regulations. This can be accomplished through journals, attending educational conferences etc. Under supervision of the VA Sleep Lab RPSGT Supervisor in collaboration with the Respiratory Therapy (RT) Supervisor, and Sleep Lab Medical Director, the Medical Instrument Sleep Technician trainee is expected to learn, requirements of the AASM, BRPT, and AAST guidelines, as well as following Joint Commission guidelines, and hospital policies and procedures. The Medical Instrument Sleep Technician trainee may work variable shifts, day/night and may work both at the Joint Venture hospital, or at the VA clinic as directed. There may be times when the technician is asked to assist with education at outlying facilities. Work may also occasionally include in-patient procedures. The Medical Instrument Sleep Technician trainee will be expected to act professionally, must be reliable, able to work independently and be self-motivated. The Medical Instrument Sleep Technician trainee is responsible for performing job duties as trained in accordance with mission, vision, and values of the Anchorage VA healthcare system. Demonstrates and promotes positive image through professional conduct, appearance and communication. The duties as described above are to be carried out in accordance with the standard procedures for performing, scoring and reviewing Polysomnography and other sleep studies. The incumbent will attend staff meetings and educational opportunities. The incumbent will also meet the following criteria: Train to trouble shoot and repair as necessary EEG, EKG, EOG, EMG and respiratory monitoring equipment under supervision of a Polysomnographer. Train to interpret and report generation of home study raw data. Train to provide setup, instruction and troubleshooting of home studies. Available for follow up phone calls from patient for troubleshooting (during working hours). Will recognize when situation is above his/her skill level and ask for assistance of the supervisor. Will be timely and accurate with patient hook up utilizing the international 10-20 system of measurement. Must be able to deliver compassionate quality care to our veteran population using I-Care Values. Will educate the veteran and his/her family on the procedures that are performed. Will train on mask fitting & machine trouble-shooting with an RPSGT. Train to titrate patients on CPAP, BiPAP, & Auto-Servo ventilation devices to the patient's needs. Train to recognize when a change in device type is required to adequately treat the veteran. Demonstrate courteous effective written and verbal communication. Train to demonstrate the ability to recognize and treat complex patients, and can readily adapt to changing situations. Train to conduct all phases of home sleep studies. Provides accurate, legible and complete documentation of patient care delivered and response to therapy. Train to Recognize the need for medical intervention if patient safety is at risk. Annual Equipment Competencies maintained per departmental and unit specific standards. Work Schedule: 7:00 pm-5:00 am, night shift, days will vary. Telework: Not Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation Incentives: May be Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required.

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education: There are no specific educational requirements for this occupation. Education may be substituted for experience only at the GS-4 and GS-5 levels. See the grade requirements part of this standard for information regarding educational substitutions. Licensure or Certification: Not required for this occupation. English Language Proficiency: Medical Instrument Technicians must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: GS-4 Experience: At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics related to the duties of the position to be filled. Six months of this experience may have been in medically related fields such as nursing assistant, practical nursing, or similar fields. The remaining six months must have been in operating diagnostic and therapeutic equipment covered by this occupation. Experience gained in the operation of equipment for animal diagnosis or treatment may be credited at this level. OR Education: Successful completion of two years of education above high school or an associate's degree with a major field of study directly related to the medical instrument technician occupation. *In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1. Knowledge of basic medical terminology. 2. Ability to learn the components, operating characteristics, and settings of the equipment to be used. 3. Ability to learn typical patient reactions to the basic procedures involved and ability to recognize signs of distress. 4. Ability to learn the standard positions for the procedure being conducted.5. Ability to communicate orally and in writing. Assignments: At this level assignments are trainee in nature. The medical instrument technician trainee is performing limited routine assignments of a developmental nature under close supervision. GS-5. Experience: At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics related to the duties of the position to be filled. This would be experience in operating equipment related to the particular specialization for which application is made or in related functional areas. Experience gained in the operation of equipment for animal diagnosis or treatment may be credited through this grade level. OR Education: Successful completion of 4 academic years above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation, or a bachelor's degree in a major field of study appropriate to medical instrument technician functions. *In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs 1. Knowledge of standard medical terminology to interpret physician orders or instructions. 2. Knowledge of common physical disabilities and ability to position patients for the examination or treatment. 3. Ability to learn the normal and abnormal results for routine procedures to recognize and report obvious abnormalities. 4. Ability to operate the equipment to administer routine/standard diagnostic treatment or procedures. 5. Ability to perform standard operator maintenance on the equipment including the ability to disassemble, clean, reassemble, and calibrate the machine. Assignment: Medical Instrument Technicians (Trainee) at this level operate and monitor commonly used equipment performing routine procedures under normal supervision. The technician functions somewhat independently in carrying out these standardized procedures of limited complexity. Deviations from regular procedures, unanticipated problems, and unfamiliar situations are referred to the supervisor for a decision or help. Some assignments at this level also include developmental duties involving more complex procedures designed to prepare the technician for promotion to higher grades in a functional area. Such duties would be performed under closer supervision. References: VA Handbook 5005/15 Part II Appendix G27 The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-4 to GS-5. Physical Requirements: This work requires light to heavy lifting, 15-45 lb.; light to heavy carrying under 15-45 lb.; reaching above shoulders, use of fingers; both hands required; walking; standing; crawling, kneeling, climbing, use of legs and arms, both legs required. Environmental Factors include working closely with others and working alone.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Anchorage VA Medical Center 1201 North Muldoon Road Anchorage, AK 99504 US
• Name: Jovita Murphy
• Phone: 253-583-3850
• Email: [email protected]