Polysomnography Specialist

Job Summary

A Polysomnography Technologist works under the general supervision of the clinical director (M.D., D.O., or PhD) or designee to provide comprehensive evaluation and treatment of sleep disorders.

Duties and Essential Functions

• Collect, analyze and integrate patient information in order to identify and meet the patient specific needs (Physical/mental limitations; current emotional/physiological status regarding the testing procedure, pertinent medical/social history), and to determine final testing parameters/procedures in conjunction with the ordering physician or clinical director and laboratory protocols.
• Complete and verify documentation. Explain pre-testing, testing, and post-testing procedures to the patient.
• Prepare and calibrate equipment required for testing to determine proper functioning and make adjustments if necessary. Apply electrodes and sensors according to accepted published standards. Perform appropriate physiologic calibrations to ensure proper signals and make adjustments if necessary. Perform positive airway pressure (PAP) mask fitting.
• Follow procedural protocols [such as Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT), Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT), parasomnia studies, PAP, oxygen titration etc.] to ensure collection of appropriate data.
• Follow "lights out" procedures to establish and document baseline values (such as body position, oxyhemoglobin saturation, respiratory and heart rates, etc.).
• Perform Polysomnographic data acquisition while monitoring study-tracing quality to ensure signals are artifact free and make adjustments, if necessary.
• Document routine observations including sleep stages and clinical events, changes in procedure, and significant events in order to facilitate scoring and interpretation of polysomnographic results.
• Implement appropriate interventions (including actions necessary for patient safety and therapeutic intervention such as continuous and bi-level positive airway pressure, oxygen administration, etc).
• Follow "lights on" procedures to verify integrity of collected data and complete the data collection process (repeats the physiological and instrument calibrations and instructs the patient on completing questionnaires, etc.)
• Score sleep/wake stages by applying professionally accepted guidelines. Score clinical events (such as respiratory events, cardiac events, limb movements, arousals etc.) according to center specific protocols. Generate accurate reports by tabulating sleep/wake and clinical event data.

Education/License/Certification/Other Requirements

• Maintains active certification/registration in one of the following credentials:
• RPSGT (Registered Polysomnographic Technologist)
• RST (Registered Sleep Technologist)
• SDS (Sleep Disorders Specialist)
• American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) certification
• Kentucky state license (if required based on credential)
• Experience with
• CPAP
• Bi-PAP
• Pulse Oximetry

Preferred Qualifications

• American Heart Association Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification.

Working Environment

Constantly works near moving mechanical parts

Constantly exposed to blood and/or body fluids and infection.

Occasionally exposed to toxic or caustic chemicals

Occasionally exposed to risk of radiation

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Physical Demands

• Occasionally required to maintain in a stationary position (standing or sitting).
• Frequently required to walk and move about.
• Frequently required to operate a computer and other equipment.
• Frequently required to use fine motor skills to handle and operate instruments/devices.
• Constantly required to lift and/or move items up to 10 pounds.
• Frequently required to lift and/or move items up to 50 pounds.
• Occasionally required to lift and/or move items up to 100 pounds.
• Constantly required to communicate with patients and other care team requiring talking and hearing.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception.
• Occasionally required to position self in order to meet patient needs.

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