Clarification from the agency

NOTE: THE 2-PAGE RESUME REQUIREMENT DOES NOT APPLY TO THIS OCCUPATIONAL SERIES. FOR MORE INFORMATION, REFER TO REQUIRED DOCUMENTS BELOW. This announcement is open to The Public - US Citizens Veterans' Preference: Does not apply to this announcement per OCHCO Bulletin, Annual Determination of Staffing Shortages, dated October 1, 2024

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NOTE: THE 2-PAGE RESUME REQUIREMENT DOES NOT APPLY TO THIS OCCUPATIONAL SERIES. FOR MORE INFORMATION, REFER TO REQUIRED DOCUMENTS BELOW

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

The Sleep Lab position is night-time and may be required to flex duty hours to coincide with clinic needs. Work will be done primarily at the Joint Venture hospital, and at the VA clinic. Responsible to work with less experienced staff members in order to assist them in becoming proficient in polysomnogram scoring.

Functions

• Night-time Operations
  • Night resource for questions on scoring, assisting to troubleshoot equipment issues, and perform a wide variety of polysomnographic studies.
• Day-time Operations
  • Work in conjunction with the Alaska Veterans Affairs Healthcare Services and the VA/DoD Joint Venture Clinics and Hospital
• Guidelines/Directive
  • Follow hospital, federal and state regulations and recommendations
• Receives/Interprets Requests
  • Receives requests and/or instructions for procedures. Interprets requests or instructions from physician or medical officers
• Secures Patients Confidence/Cooperation
  • Secures the confidence and cooperation of patients during procedures
• MIT Functions
  • Include, but not limited to:
    • Patient instruction and education at the sleep lab, clinic, and via tele-link to CBOCs patient setup, calibration, and acquisition performance verification
    • Provide setup, instruction and troubleshooting of home studies
    • Mask fitting & machine trouble-shooting
    • Titrates; CPAP, BiPAP, & Auto-Servo ventilation devices to patient needs
    • Conduct all phases of home sleep studies
    • Monitoring of multiple physiological data
    • Identify and treat sleep related breathing disorders
    • Recognize the need for medical intervention
    • Staging of the sleep studies
    • Collect, analyze and integrate patient information in order to identify and meet the patient-specific needs
    • Explain pre-testing, testing, and post-testing procedures
    • Testing Preparation Procedures
    • Prepare and calibrate equipment required
  • Polysomnographic Procedures
    • Follow procedural protocols
    • Follow "lights out" procedures to establish and document baseline values
    • Perform appropriate physiologic calibrations
    • Perform Polysomnographic data acquisition
    • Document routine observations
    • Implement appropriate interventions
    • Follow "lights on" procedures to verify integrity of collected data and complete the data collection process
    • Oversees and performs difficult and unusual procedures and therapeutic interventions
    • Adapts the equipment to the veteran based on information gained through trained observation and laboratory procedures
    • Responsible for special projects in clinical and educational areas
• Polysomnographic Record Scoring
  • Score sleep/wake stages
  • Score clinical events
  • Generate accurate reports
• Service Management and Professional Issues
  • Perform routine and complex equipment care and maintenance
  • Develop & coordinate sleep lab equipment competencies for staff training
  • Evaluate sleep study related equipment and inventory
  • Maintain current BLS/CPR certification
  • Participate in a minimum of 10 sleep related continuing education hours each year
  • Comply with the BRPT Standards of Conduct
  • Coordinate with Sleep Lab Supervisor of Sleep Lab employees workload distribution, education, & training

Work Schedule: 3x 12-hr shifts 6pm-6:30am, and 2x 4-hr or 1x 8hr shift per week, days can be discussed
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): 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 #: 000000
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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
• 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

NOTE: THE 2-PAGE RESUME REQUIREMENT DOES NOT APPLY TO THIS OCCUPATIONAL SERIES. FOR MORE INFORMATION, REFER TO REQUIRED DOCUMENTS BELOW

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

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.
• English Language Proficiency: Medical Instrument Technicians must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part.
• 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".
  • Titles and Certifications/Registrations: Polysomnography Technicians operate the electroencephalograph and other devices to record the electrical activity of the brain during sleep. Registration is offered by the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT).

Grade Determinations:

Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography)

In addition to the core competencies defined at the GS-8 level, positions at this grade may be lead, supervisory, or non-supervisory with specialized advanced knowledge and assignments.

Experience: At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level, which is directly related to the duties of the position to be filled, and must fully meet the KSAs at that level. This would be experience which demonstrates possession of the knowledge required to provide all aspects of polysomnography services. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs and the potential to acquire the assignment specific KSAs designated by an asterisk (*):

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: KSAs 1, 2, and 3 are appropriate for all positions at this level. KSAs 4 and 5 are to be used in accordance with their appropriateness for the specific assignment.

1. Knowledge of the more complex examination and treatment procedures and techniques in order to provide training and supervision in these procedures, to evaluate and initiate performance improvement projects, and to write policies, procedures, and protocols, that pertain to Polysomnography.
2. *Knowledge of JCAHO and other regulatory requirements.
3. Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with employees at varying grade levels.
4. *Ability to manage and supervise employees.
5. *Ability to provide, or provide for, staff development and training.

Certification: Registration by the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT) is highly desirable. Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certifications are also desirable for employees at this level.

Assignments: For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and range of variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.

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-9.

Physical Requirements: This work requires heavy lifting and carrying (45lbs and over), moderate lifting and carrying (15-44lbs), light lifting and carrying (under 15lbs), reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, both hands required, walking, standing, crawling, kneeling, climbing use of legs and arms, both legs required, both eyes required, and hearing (aid may be permitted). Environmental factors include working closely with others and working alone.

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.