Summary

**This announcement amends closing date to 11/28/2025** This Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography) position is in Specialty Care services at the White River Junction VA Medical Center - located at the White River Junction - Vermont location. This position is full-time at 40 hours per week.

Qualifications

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
• Grandfathering Provision: MITs employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard 06/07/12 are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title - series and grade held - including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation
• Grade Determinations: Medical Instrument Technician (Trainee) GS-04: Experience
• At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level (GS-03) which demonstrates the knowledge - skills - abilities - and other characteristics related to the duties of the position to be filled
• Six months of this experience may have been in medically related fields such as nursing assistant - practical nursing - or similar fields
• The remaining six months must have been in operating diagnostic and therapeutic equipment covered by this occupation
• Experience gained in the operation of equipment for animal diagnosis or treatment may be credited at this level
• OR - Education
• Successful completion of two years of education above high school or an associate's degree with a major field of study directly related to the medical instrument technician occupation
• (Transcripts must be uploaded) AND Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition to the Education/Experience requirement - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs at the GS-04 Grade Level: Knowledge of basic medical terminology
• Ability to learn the components - operating characteristics - and settings of the equipment to be used
• Ability to learn typical patient reactions to the basic procedures involved and ability to recognize signs of distress
• Ability to learn the standard positions for the procedure being conducted
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing
• Medical Instrument Technician (Trainee) GS-05: Experience
• At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level (GS-04) which demonstrates the knowledge - skills - abilities - and other characteristics related to the duties of the position to be filled
• This would be experience in operating equipment related to the particular specialization for which application is made or in related functional areas
• Experience gained in the operation of equipment for animal diagnosis or treatment may be credited through this grade level
• OR - Education
• Successful completion of 4 academic years above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation - or a bachelor's degree in a major field of study appropriate to medical instrument technician functions
• (Transcripts must be uploaded) AND Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs at the GS-05 Grade Level: Knowledge of standard medical terminology to interpret physician orders or instructions
• Knowledge of common physical disabilities and ability to position patients for the examination or treatment
• Ability to learn the normal and abnormal results for routine procedures to recognize and report obvious abnormalities
• Ability to operate the equipment to administer routine/standard diagnostic treatment or procedures
• Ability to perform standard operator maintenance on the equipment including the ability to disassemble - clean - reassemble - and calibrate the machine
• Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography) GS-06: Experience
• At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level (GS-05) which demonstrates the knowledge - skills - abilities - and other characteristics related to the duties of the position to be filled
• AND Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs at the GS-06 Grade Level: Knowledge of standard - computerized polysomnographs for recording continuous all night physiological data including EEG - EOG - EKG - EMG and respiratory parameters
• Knowledge of standard devices such as oximeters - respiratory effort devices - nasal pressure devices - thermistors - thermocouples - continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines - and laboratory computers including the ability to calibrate and operate the equipment and recognize and eliminate recording artifacts
• Knowledge of medical terminology and medical record organization to review medical records - sleep study orders - consent forms - medical charts - etc
• Knowledge of polysomnographic procedural protocols (including overnight sleep studies - MSLT - MWT - PAP - etc.)
• Knowledge of basic anatomy and physiology and the international 10-20 electrode placement system in order to conduct the sleep studies
• Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography) GS-07: Experience
• At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level (GS-06) which demonstrates the knowledge - skills - abilities - and other characteristics related to the duties of the position to be filled
• This would be experience which provided the individual with the knowledge - skills - and abilities to independently conduct difficult but standardized polysomnography examinations
• AND Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs at the GS-07 Grade Level: Knowledge of CPAP function and operation to select and fit appropriate PAP patient interface devices
• Ability to independently titrate and document PAP level to achieve therapeutic goals
• Knowledge of indications - complications - and contraindications of CPAP therapy
• Knowledge of Bi-Level pressure titrations
• Ability to recognize changes seen during the PSG tracing and identify all stages of sleep
• This includes the ability to score and analyze sleep stages in clinical polysomnography recordings
• Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography) GS-08: Full Performance Level Experience
• At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level (GS-07) 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
• AND Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs at the GS-08 Grade Level: 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
• Preferred Experience: Preparing patients for nocturnal polysomnographic testing Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) and/or Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification desired References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/54 PART II APPENDIX G27 - MEDICAL INSTRUMENT TECHNICIAN QUALIFICATION STANDARD GS-649 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-08
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-04 to GS-08.

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Medical Instrument Technician (Polysomnography) operates and monitors electroencephalograph equipment and other devices to record the electrical activity of the brain during sleep
• The Polysomnographic technician has multiple clinical and technical responsibilities
• The technician is responsible for initiating - scoring - reporting - and assuring the high quality of all home sleep studies
• The technician is responsible for explaining obstructive sleep apnea to his/her patients - the consequences of the findings of the home sleep study - and the treatment for OSA
• The technician frequently works alone and must have a great ability for independent work
• The technician must demonstrate knowledge of specific sophisticated physiologic measurement equipment - computer skills - ability to perform expected maintenance as well as solve urgent mechanical problems
• The technician must also be proficient at managing the patient equipment interface in a technical as well as supportive manner
• The technician is responsible for providing supportive patient interaction and appropriate patient education with adult and older adult veteran patients
• Additionally - the technician is tasked with quality oversight - sleep equipment maintenance - and training responsibilities for other staff members
• Duties include but are not limited to: Preparing patients for nocturnal polysomnographic testing
• Providing instruction to the patient - Performing the sleep study which includes adjusting oxygen dose and CPAP or BiPAP levels as necessary to maintain adequate oxygenation and ventilation during sleep
• Monitoring patients for adverse reactions - independently taking corrective action based on established policy and past experience and notifying the physician as required
• Collecting the data obtained from the sleep study
• Staging sleep architecture and scoring sleep abnormalities
• Providing physicians with timely reports
• Performs additional duties as assigned by leadership
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Compressed/Flexible: None
• Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 405-F008182 - 405-008181 - F06529 for GS-07
• F06581 for GS-08 Full Performance Level Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• 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) 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) Notifications: This position is in the Excepted Service
• This position is not a Bargaining Unit position
• Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees
• This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay
• Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50 - (Notice of Personnel Action)
• The SF-50 must identify the position title - series - grade - step - tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted)
• In some cases - more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held
• Narrative responses to the knowledge - skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment
• Due to a critical staffing shortage - 38 U.S.C. § 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference for this job announcement.