Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography) - Intermittent

Summary

The VA Central Iowa Health Care System is recruiting for 1 intermittent (as needed) GS-9 Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography) for the Specialty Care Service Line. This position is located at the Des Moines VA Medical Center, 3600 30th Street. Des Moines, IA 50310.

***Salary noted is based on a full-time schedule. Actual salary will be pro-rated based on hours worked.***

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Duties

The VA Midwest Health Care Network 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.

The primary and essential functions of the position include but are not limited to:

Diagnostic testing: Unattended sleep studies

• Distribute, retrieve, download portable monitors
• Score portable monitor recordings
• Develop and implement policies and procedures for maintaining portable equipment and supplies
• Clean and maintain equipment between tests
• Ensure sensor integrity
• Maintain adequate supplies of disposable items and sensors
• Assist in performance of QA program of out-of-laboratory testing
• Track location of the recording units and follow policies and procedures when patients fail to return a unit in a timely manner
  
  

Diagnostic testing: Attended sleep studies and Titrations studies

• Patient instruction and education
• Patient assessment related to sleep disorders
• Patient setup, calibration, and acquisition performance verification
• Monitoring of multiple physiological data throughout the test
• Troubleshooting of polysomnographic recording equipment
• Perform pre and post-test calibrations
• Identify and treat sleep related breathing disorders
• Recognize the need for medical intervention if patient safety is at risk
• Remove and sterilize electrodes and sensors at completion of study
• The staging of the sleep studies
• Document all data in CPRS including for scoring
• The Scoring of Sleep Studies
  
  

Participate in new technology/equipment development/evaluation

• Maintain laboratory equipment according to schedules.
• Identify name, location and function of emergency supplies.
• Maintain emergency supplies inventory
  
  

Educate patients and medical staff

• Perform patient education regarding CPAP treatment and sleep hygiene
• Distribute brochures and other relevant educational materials to patients about commonly encountered problems (sleep apnea, obesity, driving safety, sleep hygiene, psychophysiological insomnia, narcolepsy and others)
• Reinforce educational information and answer patient questions, or refer to care provider as needed d) Assist in training and education of medical staff
  
  

Provide technical support during outpatient clinic sessions

• Serve as liaison between patient and healthcare provider
• Perform mask fittings and adjust PAP settings as ordered by provider
• Order PAP machines and supplies through Prosthetics Department
• Troubleshoot PAP-related issues as needed, particularly those regarding the interface
• Alert care provider to non-adherence patterns
• Order CPAP supplies for patients
  
  

Secondary functions of the position include but are not limited to:

• Assists in the training of technologist with the performance of various types of sleep studies, scoring and charting of information
• Assists in developing, writing and reviewing departmental policies and procedures
• Engages in continuing education effort by reading journal articles and texts about sleep medicine topics, attending in-services, and participating actively in monthly interscorer quality assurance and staff meetings
• Furthers departmental continuing education effort through training or other educational presentations
• Gathers and analyzes data for internal audits and other departmental projects as assigned.
• Maintains cleanliness of work area and equipment
• May be required to perform re-scores and reviews of novice scorers
• Performs other duties in area of responsibility that may be assigned
• Assist in covering duties of other Sleep Center personnel when they are absent from work
  
  

Work Schedule: Night shift, Intermittent (as needed)

Telework: Not available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

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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 probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.
  
  

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

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  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.
• 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.
• Physical Requirements. You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.
• 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).

Creditable Experience - Knowledge of Current Medical Instrument Technician Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics associated with current Medical Instrument Technician practice appropriate to the identified specialty area.

Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable if it is equivalent to at least the next lower grade level and is directly related to the position/specialty to be filled.

Grade Determinations:

GS-9 Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography)

Experience. At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level, which is directly related to the duties of the position to be filled, and must fully meet the KSAs at that level. This would be experience which demonstrates possession of the knowledge required to provide all aspects of polysomnography services and is defined as: Working advanced knowledge or the International Classification of Sleep Disorders and the ability to recognize uncommon and/or rare sleep disorders; Summarizing and reporting polysomnographic data in narrative form; Working knowledge of event characteristics (e.g., respiratory, cardiac, sleep stage, seizures, etc.) and taking appropriate action; Providing briefings and orientation to hospital staff including physicians.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs and the potential to acquire the assignment specific KSAs designated by an asterisk (*):

• 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.
• *Knowledge of JCAHO and other regulatory requirements.
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with employees at varying grade levels.
• *Ability to provide, or provide for, staff development and training.
  
  

All qualifying experience you possess must be clearly described in your application package. We will not make assumptions when reviewing applications. Failure to demonstrate your experience in your resume may result in disqualification. It is strongly recommended that you write to each KSA in your application package.



Preferred Experience: Registration by the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT) is highly desirable. Basic and Advanced Cardiac Life Support certifications are also desirable.



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-9. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-9.



Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

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/.

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.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

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.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.