This Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography) Position is in Sleep Medicine services at the VA Boston Healthcare System and is located at the Enclave at the Bedford, MA VA location. This position is a full-time at 40 hours per week.

Duties

The responsibilities at this location will include but not limited to managing the Home Sleep Study Program, establishing, and maintaining the CPAP Compliance Monitoring Program, as well as providing a Sleep Clinic Support for equipment, education and any other related issues that arise to meet the patient's needs. Duties and responsibilities include but are not limed to: Act independently and recognize that technical decisions will vary with each patient based on their medical condition and patient reaction to the variety of tests performed. Each action by the technologist may further vary due to the response or result from the patient. Participate in the development of new procedures and assist and review existing procedures, updating them in accordance with new equipment and clinical practice. Set up the patients with monitoring devices according to established rules and protocols. Recognize and respond appropriately to critical events that can occur in sleep, such as cardiac arrhythmias, seizure disorders, and other medical emergencies. Provide oversight of the Home Sleep Testing program to assure that it meets with all Joint Commission, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and other regulatory bodies prescribed standards. Assist in ordering sleep lab equipment. Provide instruction to day and night sleep lab staff to insure quality and efficiency of care. Has ability to score sleep studies as well as be up-to-date on rule changes of scoring Communicate effectively with a range of personnel within the Health System, including physicians, nurses, administration and clinic managers. Be registered with the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologist - Maintain BLS certification. Maintain a safe work environment. Keep up-to-date on changes in sleep medicine by regularly attending courses related to sleep medicine with the ability to adapt to future technological changes and continue educational development. Perform triage, rearrange schedules according to patient priorities. Is responsible for downloading compliance data utilizing disk or wireless modems to track patient compliance and creates reports for the sleep specialist to review in clinic. Work Schedule: Full Time, Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4pm Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: FS909250 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

Applicants should be fully qualified by the closing date of the 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. Licensure or Certification is not required for this occupation; however, it is strongly desirable at GS-6 or above as evidence of possession of the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities. Registration by the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT) is highly desirable. For all specialties identified in this standard, Basic and Advanced Cardiac Life Support certifications are desirable. Training which doesn't result in official certification does not meet this definition. English Proficiency: Proficient in English (written and spoken) is required for patient care positions. Grade Determinations: GS-09: Experience: At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level (GS-8), which is directly related to the duties of the position. At this level Polysomnographic Technicians are able to interact fully with the patient and physician to diagnose sleep disorders including those that are uncommon or rare. They are able to conduct full sleep studies including overnight studies and evaluate the relationship of events, sleep stages, and possible medical conditions which influence or result from events occurring during sleep. They anticipate problems likely to occur during the sleep study and prepare for such situations, make changes in established procedures, or recommend alternative courses of action. They are able to mentor lower graded technicians. You must also meet the following GS-8 KSAs: (1) Advanced knowledge or the International Classification of Sleep Disorders and the ability to recognize uncommon and/or rare sleep disorders. (2) Ability to summarize and report polysomnographic data in narrative form. (3) Knowledge of event characteristics (e.g., respiratory, cardiac, sleep stage, seizures, etc.) and ability to take appropriate action. (4) Ability to provide briefings and orientation to hospital staff including physicians. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical GS-9 KSAs and the potential to acquire the assignment specific KSAs designated by an asterisk (*) Demonstrated GS-9 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities and the potential to acquire the assignment specific KSAs designated by an asterisk (*). KSAs 1, 2, and 3 are appropriate for all positions at this level. KSAs 4 and 5 are to be used in accordance with their appropriateness for the specific assignment. 1. Knowledge of the more complex examination and treatment procedures and techniques in order to provide training and supervision in these procedures, to evaluate and initiate performance improvement projects, and to write policies, procedures, and protocols, that pertain to Polysomnography. *2. Knowledge of JCAHO and other regulatory requirements. *3. Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with employees at varying grade levels. *4. Ability to manage and supervise employees. *5. Ability to provide, or provide for, staff development and training Certification. Registration by the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT) is highly desirable. Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certifications are also desirable for employees at this level. Preferred Experience: Registered Polysomnographic Technologist, Preferably having prior experience with home sleep testing, scoring, CPAP setups and troubleshooting sleep issues. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G27, Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography) Qualification Standard The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-9. Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion such as standing or walking for prolonged periods of time; frequent bending, reaching, stooping, and stretching to set up and take apart equipment and apparatus; lifting and repositioning patients; and pushing or pulling heavy objects such as oxygen tanks and/or equipment. The work may require specific physical characteristics and abilities such as above-average dexterity to perform intricate respiratory therapy / sleep procedures.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address VA Boston Healthcare System 940 Belmont Street Brockton, MA 02301 US
• Name: Marianne Coutinho
• Phone: 774-826-4812
• Email: [email protected]