POLYSOMNOGRAPHY TECH

Location/Department: Sleep Lab Full time - 72 hours per pay period - benefit eligible Job Summary Provide customer sensitive diagnostic sleep testing & comprehensive evaluation and treatment of sleep disorders for adult outpatients utilizing a variety of sleep diagnostic & therapeutic modalities. Safely operate medical equipment to record sleep/wake physiology, recognize sleep pathology, and respond with appropriate interventions to ensure patient safety and proper treatment.

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

Duties/Responsibilities

• Collect, analyze, & integrate patient information in order to identify & meet patient-specific needs.
• Assess physical/mental limitations, emotional/physiological status regarding the testing process.
• Verify patient identification using 2 patient identifiers maintaining patient privacy.
• Explain the testing to the patient and answer any questions.
• Determine final testing procedures in conjunction with physician orders & lab protocols.
• Review ordering providers sleep study order for any special instructions.
• Complete & verify all documentation in EHR.
• Explain pre-testing & post testing procedures to patient.
• Knowledgeable regarding common sleep disorders & treatment options.
• Understands and performs preparation tasks, calibration, operation, and maintenance of all polysomnography equipment; determine proper functioning, making adjustments, & troubleshoot issues if necessary.
• Apply electrodes & sensors according to accepted standards.
• Perform appropriate physiologic calibrations; ensure proper signals, making adjustments, as needed.
• Perform positive airway pressure (PAP) mask fitting.
• Perform fitting and titration for CPAP and Bi-level therapy.
• Responds to study participant’s procedure related questions appropriately.
• Follow sleep testing protocols for all testing.
• Documents baseline values at initiation of testing.
• Performs polysomnographic data acquisition.
• Documents routine observations and relevant clinical events per testing protocols.
• Implements appropriate intervention including actions necessary for patient safety.
• Monitors study quality to ensure signals are artifact-free, making adjustments, as needed.
• Observes & responds appropriately to any difficult &/or unusual situation.
• Recognizes normal & abnormal sleep patterns.
• Scores all sleep testing by applying professionally accepted guidelines.
• Score clinical events according to specified protocols.
• Generates accurate reports by tabulating sleep/wake & clinical event data.
• Complies with all regulatory agency requirements specific to sleep lab & sleep testing.
• Able to perform routine equipment care & maintenance.
• Forwards sleep study related equipment & inventory issues to Sleep Lab Supervisor.
• Complies with BRPT standard of conduct.
• Stays current in field through continuing education seminars, professional journals, & societies.
• Participates in process improvement effort.
• Demonstrates commitment to service & contributes to a positive, caring environment.
• Ability to effectively communicate & collaborate with team members, vendors, & providers.
• Assists with training and orientation for registered or non-registered technologists.
• Reports all adverse events including near misses as appropriate.
• Perform all other related duties as assigned by the supervisor or Manager.
• Able to locate department policies and procedures and actively participates in annual review process.
• Attends 75% of scheduled department meetings or reviews written minutes of those meetings not attended.
• Maintains & reviews timecard timely. Communicates adjustments/changes to Manager, as appropriate.
• Maintain current BLS & RPSGT certification.

Required Skills/Abilities

• Strong communication, critical thinking & analytical skills.
• Strong customer service, teamwork, effective time management & decision-making skills.
• Able to work independently or with minimal supervision, multi-task, problem solve, & complete tasks in a timely manner.
• Strong computer skills; able to troubleshoot issues with sleep-related equipment used for testing.
• Wide variety of sleep diagnostic equipment, including but not limited to continuous airway pressure devices, oxygen concentrators, oxygen delivery devices & emergency resuscitation equipment.
• Requires working with computers, monitors, & various battery-operated equipment.