Polysomnographic / Sleep Technologist - Casual / As Needed at ChristianaCare

Are you looking to join a company based on excellence and love? Than this is the job for you!

ChristianaCare is one of the country's most dynamic healthcare organizations, centered on improving health outcomes, making high-quality care more accessible, and lowering healthcare costs. ChristianaCare includes an extensive network of outpatient services, home health care, urgent care centers, three hospitals (1,299 beds), a free-standing emergency department, a Level I trauma center and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, a comprehensive stroke center and regional centers of excellence in heart and vascular care, cancer care, and women's health. It also includes the pioneering Gene Editing Institute and was rated by IDG Computerworld as one of the nation's Best Places to Work in IT. ChristianaCare is a nonprofit teaching health system with more than 260 residents and fellows. It is continually ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the Best Hospital. With the unique CareVio data-powered care coordination service and a focus on population health and value-based care, ChristianaCare is shaping the future of health care.

ChristianaCare Offers

• Full Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, etc.
• Two retirement planning offerings, including 403(b) with company contributions
• Generous paid time off with annual roll-over and opportunities to cash out
• 12-week paid parental leave
• Incredible Work/Life benefits including annual membership to care.com, access to backup care services for dependents through Care@Work, retirement planning services, financial coaching, fitness and wellness reimbursement, and great discounts through several vendors for hotels, rental cars, theme parks, shows, sporting events, movie tickets and much more!

About this Position

ChristianaCare is hiring a sleep technologist to provide comprehensive evaluation and treatment of sleep disorders including in-center and home sleep apnea testing, diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, comprehensive patient care and direct patient education. A registered sleep technologist is credentialed by the BRPT in polysomnography.

Principle duties and responsibilities:

Sleep Study Preparation and Set-up

• 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).
• Determine final testing parameters/procedures in conjunction with the ordering physician or clinical director and laboratory protocols.
• Review the patient’s history and verify the medical order.
• Follow sleep center protocols related to the sleep study.
• When patient arrives, verify identification, collect documents and obtain consent for the study.
• Explain the procedure and orient the patient for either in center or home sleep apnea testing.
• Provide age appropriate patient education.
• Select appropriate equipment and calibrate for testing to determine proper functioning and makes adjustments, if necessary.
• Communicates with lead polysomnographic specialist or manager the need for repairs, as required.
• Apply electrodes and sensors according to accepted published standards.
• Perform routine positive airway pressure (PAP) interface fitting and desensitization.

Sleep Study Procedures

• Follow procedural protocols [such as Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT), Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT), parasomnia studies, PAP and oxygen titration, etc.] to ensure collection of appropriate data.
• Perform appropriate physiological calibrations to ensure proper signals and make required adjustments.
• Follow “lights out procedures to establish and document baseline values (such as body position, oxyhemoglobin saturation, respiratory and heart rates, etc.).
• Perform data acquisition while monitoring study-tracing quality to ensure signals are artifact-free. Identify, correct, and document artifact.
• Document routine observations, including sleep stages and clinical events, changes in procedure, and other 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 positive airway pressure, oxygen administration, etc.).
• Follow “lights on procedures to verify integrity of collected data and complete the data collection process (e.g. repeat the physiological and instrument calibrations and instruct the patient on completing questionnaires, checking for completeness, etc.).
• Score sleep/wake stages by applying professionally accepted guidelines.
• Score clinical events (such as respiratory events, cardiac events, limb movements, arousals, etc.) utilizing American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) standards.
• Generate accurate reports by tabulating sleep/wake and clinical event data.
• Demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and provide age specific care in the treatment, assessment, and education of neonatal, pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients.
• Demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to perform portable monitoring equipment preparation and data download.
• Perform patient education and instruction appropriate for home sleep apnea testing.
• Demonstrate adherence to cleaning and disinfection procedures.
• Monitor patient safety and adhere to patient safety protocols.
• Demonstrate adherence to AASM scoring parameters; identify artifact, inadequate signals and equipment failures and generate an accurate report.

Additional Responsibilities

• Performs assigned work safely, adhering to established departmental safety rules and practices.
• Reports to supervisor, in a timely manner, any unsafe activities, conditions, hazards or safety violations that may cause injury to oneself, other employees, patients and visitors.
• Actively participates in department meetings and record reviews.
• Completes monthly ISR on or before the last day of the month.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Education and experience requirements:

• Successful completion of an accredited educational program leading to a certificate or associate degree with an emphasis in sleep technology
• Certification by a nationally recognized certification board and holds either the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT), Registered Polysomnographic Technologist (RPSGT), or Certified Polysomnographic Technologist (CPSGT)
• CPSGT candidates must acquire RPSGT credential within one year of hire.