Polysomnography Specialist

Job Summary

As a Polysomnography Technologist at Advocate Health, you will play a vital role in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders. This position requires a strong understanding of sleep medicine and the ability to work effectively with patients, physicians, and staff.

Key Responsibilities

• Selects and applies special monitoring electrodes, bands, thermistors, and other monitoring probes to appropriate areas of the patient's body.
• Prepares positive airway pressure (PAP) mask fittings and schedules and discusses the test process with patients, ensuring their knowledge of the process and answering their questions.
• Educates physicians and patients on sleep medicine and follows sleep procedures to establish and document baseline values such as body position, movements, oxyhemoglobin saturation, respiratory and heart rates.
• Scores sleep/wake stages and generates accurate reports by tabulating sleep/wake and clinical event data such as respiratory events, cardiac events, limb movements, arousals, etc.
• Implements appropriate interventions, including actions necessary for patient safety and therapeutic intervention such as continuous (CPAP) and bi-level (BIPAP) positive airway pressure and oxygen administration.
• Performs procedures and therapeutic interventions such as auto servo ventilation (SV) titrations, average volume assured pressure support (AVAPS), multiple sleep latency testing (MSLT), maintenance of wakefulness testing (MWT), and performs set up and scoring of home sleep tests.
• Performs polysomnographic data acquisition while monitoring study-tracing quality to recognize and eliminate all artifacts observed during the test.
• Follows wake procedures to verify integrity of collected data and complete the data collection process, e.g., repeat the physiological and instrument calibrations and instructs the patient on completing questionnaires.
• Sets up video and audio monitoring apparatus and prepares and calibrates equipment required for testing to determine proper functioning and signals.
• Keeps the equipment in clean operating condition, detecting instrument malfunctions, making minor adjustments, and reporting the need for major repairs.
• Monitors equipment supply levels and maintains appropriate equipment at hand.
• Serves as a technical resource, role model, and/or preceptor for students and staff and acts as a resource to staff both at own facility and throughout the system.

Requirements

• Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers certification issued by the American Heart Association (AHA), and Polysomnographic Technologist (RPSGT) registration issued by the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT), or Registered Sleep Technologist (RST) certification issued by the American Board of Sleep Medicine (ABSM), or Registered Respiratory Therapist-Sleep Disorders Specialty (RRT-SDS) certification issued by the National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC).
• Advanced training beyond High School that includes the completion of an accredited or approved program.
• Typically requires 2 years of experience in a polysomnographic technician role.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Must meet the AASM standard of 80% proficient in scoring with interscore reliability.
• Proficient at sleep study scoring.
• Ability to analyze complex situations and apply policy.
• Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills to develop relationships with patients, physicians, and staff both inter and intra-departmentally.
• Basic computer skills.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

• May drive between sites, therefore will be exposed to road hazards.
• Operates all equipment essential to performing the job.
• Must sit, stand, walk, lift, squat, and kneel throughout the workday.

• Must be able to lift up to 50 lbs. from floor to waist.
• Must be able to lift up to 20 lbs. over the head.
• Must be able to carry up to 40 lbs. a reasonable distance.

• Must be able to push/pull with 30 lbs. of force.
• Must be able to perform a sliding transfer of 150 lbs. with a second person present.
• Exposed to mechanical, electrical, and chemical hazards and thus protective clothing must be worn as necessary.

This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the incumbent. The incumbent may be required to perform other related duties.

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