Senior Polysomnograph Technologist - PRN, Nights

At Houston Methodist, the Sr Polysomnographic Technologist position is an experienced and fully competent Polysomnographic Technologist who works under the general supervision of clinical/medical director or designee to provide for comprehensive evaluation and treatment of sleep disorders. This position performs advanced duties including the scoring of sleep studies and preparation of preliminary report for physician interpretation, completing the process for the final report once signed off by the physician.

The Sr Polysomnographic Technologist position conducts sleep studies, including advanced and complex procedures, performing polysomnography, diagnostic and therapeutic services and participates in quality improvement initiatives, developing and teaching in-services/programs for others, serves as a mentor and resource to Polysomnographic Technologist and students by utilizing skills and knowledge to help train and achieve optimum performance levels. This position works independently exercising sound judgment and executing above average clinical skills on challenging procedures and patient care situations, delivering exceptional patient care and adhering to standards and guidelines established by the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT), American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and Houston Methodist to ensure optimal patient safety and customer service.

• Promotes a positive work environment and contributes to a dynamic, team focused work unit that actively helps one another to achieve optimal department results. Contributes towards improvement of department scores for employee engagement, i.e. peer-to-peer accountability.

• Guides and mentors other Polysomnographic Technologists and students to help build confidence in skills, knowledge and abilities. Teaches, orients and precepts new technologists. Offers guidance to interprofessional health care team, when appropriate, and applies feedback to improve patient outcomes, reporting pertinent patient care information and data in a comprehensive manner.

• Facilitates open, professional (verbal, nonverbal, written) communication to achieve mutual understanding, role modeling by example. Communication to promote both work efforts and problem resolution is clear and professional, providing the highest quality service during every customer and patient encounter. Uses peer-to-peer accountability towards improvement of department score for turnover/retention/employee engagement.

• Serves as the primary person for performing all procedures related to sleep studies including diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, Multiple Sleep Latency Testing (MSLT), Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT), Parasomnia studies, Pulmonary Artery Pressure (PAP) and oxygen titration, etc. Ensures collection of appropriate data and in accordance with established protocols and policies and procedures.

• Performs difficult and unusual procedures and therapeutic interventions; analyzing complex situations, taking appropriate actions.

• Educates patients in sleep study procedures, responding to questions and ensuring all paperwork and consent forms are completed. Consistently evaluates the patient's comprehension and adapts teaching methods accordingly.

• Coordinates various activities within the polysomnography department and assumes other duties, in the absence of a team lead or as assigned. Serves as a resource for department-related needs such as: specialty equipment or software implementation. Role models accountability and contributes towards improving department score for patient satisfaction.

• Performs polysomnographic data acquisition while monitoring study-tracing quality to ensure signals are artifact-free. Establishes and documents baseline values, observations, sleep stages, clinical events, position changes and other significant events. Verifies integrity of collected data and completes the data collection process, e.g., repeats the physiological and instrument calibrations and instructs the patient on completing questionnaires, etc.

• Troubleshoots, calibrates and performs preventive maintenance and quality control on all equipment per department guidelines, documenting activities. Evaluates sleep study related equipment, reporting and documenting malfunctions. Consults with leadership regarding technical issues.

• Scores sleep studies including Home Sleep Studies according to guidelines established by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and department policies and procedures. Prepares the preliminary detailed polysomnographic report for physician interpretation and completes the process for the final report once physician sign-off accomplished.

• Utilizes clinical judgement, using an analytical approach. Assists with implementation and teaching of department-based safety initiatives and standards of practice. Reports
  ¿ near misses
  ¿ and inputs errors promptly into Patient Safety Net to improve…