Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

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
• 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
• See the grade requirements part of this standard for information regarding educational substitutions
• 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
• For certain functional areas at the higher levels or supervisory assignments, specific certifications appropriate to the specialty are indicated in this standard under "Titles and Certification/Registrations"
• For all specialties identified in this standard, Basic and Advanced Cardiac Life Support certifications are desirable
• Training which does not result in official certification does not meet this definition
• Language
• Medical Instrument Technicians must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3.J
• Grade Determinations: Medical Instrument Technologist (Polysomnography),GS-08 : In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
• Experience
• 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 positions to be filled
• This would be experience which provided a knowledge of the more complex procedures as well as knowledge of the uncommon and/or rare sleep disorders
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
• In addition, 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
• Certification
• No certification or registration is required
• Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) certification is desirable for employees at this level
• 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)
• Preferred Experience: Knowledge of polysomnography testing, positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy, home sleep testing (HST), and PAP compliance
• Knowledge of computer systems and programs used to perform studies, download data, and provide scoring and interpretation of results (Somnoware, CloudPat, WatchPat, Airview, Care Orchestrator) is desirable
• Knowledge of remote order entry system for supply management Knowledge of diagnoses, testing, and treatments related to sleep medicine 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
• Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position
• May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, pulling, and pushing
• May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment
• Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions
• the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated
• However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.