Summary The Medical Instrument Technician Polysomnography position is located within Medical Service at the Dayton VA Medical Center, Dayton, Ohio and works independently under the Chief of Pulmonology or designee. Responsibilities Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The primary responsibility of this position is monitor and operate equipment used in sleep studies. Performs other related duties as assigned by the immediate Supervisor and/or the Chief of Medical Service. Functions or Scope of assigned duties include, but are not limited to the following: Overall responsibilities include taking an active role in portable sleep study and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) programs, and support of sleep-related treatment and teaching programs. Performs a full range of standard as well as portable sleep monitoring examinations with responsibility for properly calibrating and maintaining all necessary equipment. Testing equipment will record multiple respiration parameters for diagnosing sleep apnea with nasal and oral airflow, respiratory effort, body position, oximetry, snoring, and heart rate. Other primary duties include but many not be limited to the following: Downloads, confirms adequate recording, and electronically transfers reports to the electronic health record folder for completion. Scores sleep studies and alerts providers of critical or urgent results. Assists in communicating sleep study results with patients and arranges for appropriate follow-up in the sleep clinic. Independently programs and sets up initial positive airway pressure (PAP) equipment for issue to Veteran based on prescription, including pressure adjustments per prescription or provider recommendation. Works with a variety of brand and @types of positive airway pressure (PAP) equipment such as CPAP, BiPAP, ASV, AVAPS, and others as well as conducting mask fittings to assure optimal mask seal and patient comfort. Educates Veterans on safe and proper use of PAP machine, mask, and associated equipment to assure optimal function and sleep quality. This may be done in group or in one-on-one formats. Ensures patient's significant other or caregiver fully understands setup procedures and function of BiPAP/CPAP unit. Troubleshoots PAP equipment in CPAP clinic or in other settings as required and evaluates mask interfaces to determine causes for poor efficacy, compliance, or need for equipment replacement to correct problems whenever possible or discuss with sleep specialist if needed. Ability to fill in as overnight sleep technician responsibilities in case of emergencies while following duty hour limitations or overtime protocols. Work Schedule: Full-time. (7:30pm to 7:30am/6 shifts and 8:00pm to 4:00am/1 shift per pay period) Compressed/Flexible: Available Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 93079-A Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a trial period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Qualifications Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. 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. For certain functional areas at the higher levels or supervisory assignments, specific certifications appropriate to the specialty are indicated in this standard under "Titles and Certification/Registrations". 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-8. Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography) (a) 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 positions to be filled. This would be experience which provided a knowledge of the more complex procedures as well as knowledge of the uncommon and/or rare sleep disorders. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 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. (c) Certification. No certification or registration is required. Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certifications are also desirable for employees at this level. (d) Assignment. This represents the full performance level. 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. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-8. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-8. Registration by the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT) is highly desirable. Physical Requirements: Some of the work involves regular and recurring physical exertion in standing, bending, kneeling, reaching, gripping, and walking. Moderate to heavy lifting is required to assist patients and operate equipment. Extended periods of sitting may be required when attending meetings or completion of administrative work. Work may required physical stamina, normal use of arms and legs, and good visual and auditory acuity. Normal safety precautions and practices are required for working in a healthcare environment. Position requires emotional stability to deal effectively with multitasking and high-volume patient flow and competing demands. Professional appearances per medical center dress code, attitude and demeanor are required. 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/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the @context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.
