Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography)

Clarification from the agency

Open to the public. This position is on the VA Shortage Occupation List and Veterans Preference will be waived. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Allied VA Health Professional Total Rewards Package: Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Major duties include but are not limited to:

• Incumbent orients patients regarding nature and purpose of procedures being performed.
• Maintains a good rapport with patient to ensure maximum relaxation and cooperation is attained during the procedures.
• Calibrates and adjust equipment to obtain an accurate and technically acceptable record.
• Performs and appropriately documents all types of sleep disorder studies as specified by the Physician's order.
• Incumbent documents pertinent events and changes during the study.
• Maintains a log of patient data.
• Incumbent reports pertinent and significant data from previous night to Chief Technologist/Physician in charge of the department.
• Recognizes technical, mechanical, and patient-induced artifacts and takes appropriate steps to eliminate them.
• Incumbent follows specific protocol for oxygen and CPAP administration.
• Intervenes promptly and appropriately for respiratory and cardiac emergencies.
• Maintains and organizes the sleep laboratory and patient area before and after the patient leaves to ensure cleanliness and patient safety.
• Incumbent conducts weekly inventory, ordering supplies to replenish stock levels.
• Performs light clerical duties as needed.

Work Schedule: Night Shift: 7PM - 7AM
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 #:
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.

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.
• 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 identification 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).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

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.
• Licensure or Certification: Licensure or Certification is not required for this occupation; however, it is strongly desirable at GS-6 or above for applicants to have Basic and Advanced Cardiac Life Support certifications. Training which does not result in official certification does not meet this definition.

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-6 Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography):

• Experience: Candidates must possess 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. Qualifying experience includes but is not limited to: Performs sleep monitoring (PSG) on individuals with variety of sleep disorders, prepares, calibrates, interfaces, and operates all equipment used in polysomnographic procedures, recognize sleep apnea, sleep movements, nocturnal seizures, and parasomnias such as nocturnal myoclonus and rapid eye movement (REM) behavior disorder; makes adjustments in recording parameters to optimize performance of sleep studies, monitors patient, diagnostic equipment, recording and video equipment throughout the study; obtains artifact-free data and tracings; records significant observations, prepares, calibrates, interfaces, and operates all equipment used in polysomnographic procedures, perform a full range of standard, routine examinations including overnight sleep studies, MSLT (Multiple Sleep Latency Test), MWT (Maintenance of Wakefulness Test), and PAP (Positive Airway Pressure Titration). AND;
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  • Knowledge of standard, computerized polysomnographs for recording continuous all night physiological data including EEG, EOG, EKG, EMG and respiratory parameters.
  • Knowledge of standard devices such as oximeters, respiratory effort devices, nasal pressure devices, thermistors, thermocouples, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, and laboratory computers including the ability to calibrate and operate the equipment and recognize and eliminate recording artifacts.
  • Knowledge of medical terminology and medical record organization to review medical records, sleep study orders, consent forms, medical charts, etc.
  • Knowledge of polysmnographic procedural protocols (including overnight sleep studies, MSLT, MWT, PAP, etc.).
  • Knowledge of basic anatomy and physiology and the international 10-20 electrode placement system in order to conduct the sleep studies.

GS-7 Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography):

• Experience: Candidates must possess 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. Qualifying experience includes but is not limited to: orients patients regarding nature and purpose of procedures being performed. Maintains a good rapport with patient to ensure maximum relaxation and cooperation is attained during the procedures. Calibrates and adjust equipment to obtain an accurate and technically acceptable record. Performs and appropriately documents all types of sleep disorder studies as specified by the Physician's order. Incumbent documents pertinent events and changes during the study. They maintain a log of patient data. Incumbent reports pertinent and significant data from previous night to Chief Technologist/Physician in charge of the department. Recognizes technical, mechanical, and patient-induced artifacts and takes appropriate steps to eliminate them. Incumbent follows specific protocol for oxygen and CPAP administration. They intervene promptly and appropriately for respiratory and cardiac emergencies. Maintains and organizes the sleep laboratory and patient area before and after the patient leaves to ensure cleanliness and patient safety. Incumbent conducts weekly inventory, ordering supplies to replenish stock levels. Performs light clerical duties as needed. They perform a full range of standard, but complex, polysomnography examinations with responsibility for properly and accurately calibrating all instruments prior to the beginning of the PSG tracing and selection of appropriate electrode montages and sensitivity and filter settings to elicit the best possible tracings. AND;
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  • Knowledge of CPAP function and operation to select and fit appropriate PAP patient interface devices.
  • Ability to independently titrate and document PAP level to achieve therapeutic goals.
  • Knowledge of indications, complications, and contraindications of CPAP therapy.
  • Knowledge of Bi-Level pressure titrations.
  • Ability to recognize changes seen during the PSG tracing and identify all stages of sleep. This includes the ability to score and analyze sleep stages in clinical polysomnography recordings.

GS-8 Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography):

• Experience: Candidates must possess 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. Qualifying experience includes but is not limited to: 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. They have knowledge of Bi-level pressure titrations. They have knowledge of advanced pressure titrations including Bi-level spontaneous/timed and Auto Servo-Ventilation. They recognize changes seen during the PSG tracing and identify all stages of sleep. This includes the ability to score and analyze sleep stages in clinical polysomnographic recordings. They have knowledge of advanced sleep study tracings such as seizure activity and parasomnias including REM Behavior Disorder. AND;
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  • Advanced knowledge or the International Classification of Sleep Disorders and the ability to recognize uncommon and/or rare sleep disorders.
  • Ability to summarize and report polysomnographic data in narrative form.
  • Knowledge of event characteristics (e.g., respiratory, cardiac, sleep stage, seizures, etc.) and ability to take appropriate action.
  • Ability to provide briefings and orientation to hospital staff including physicians.

Preferred Experience: RPSGT Credential, NJ State Polysomnography License, CPR Certification.

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-08. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-06 to GS-08.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume

Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.

Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Other (1)
• PCS Orders
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Next steps