Program Description
Sleep Technologists work overnight and collect data using polysomnograms that measure bioelectrical sleep activity. They acquire and analyze signals from electroencephalograms (EEG), electrocardiograms (EKG), electromyograms (EMS) and respiratory flow and effort sensors. This accelerated program option is for allied health care workers or Sleep Technicians who have their BRPT Certification and need coursework for the Board of Physicians State Licensure.
Program Outcomes
CCBC Credential: Students will be awarded a Continuing Education Workforce Training Certificate and have access to a Continuing Education academic record (transcript).
Students will be prepared to take the national certification exam through the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists.
Certifying Organization: Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP);
www.caahep.org; 727-210-2350; FAX: 727-210-2354; 25400 U.S. Highway 19 North, Suite 158, Clearwater, Florida, 33763
Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologist exam cost is $450; the initial registry test is included in the course series cost.
Financial Aid and Payment Options
- Continuing Education Opportunity Grant
- Partial Payment Option (through Nelnet Business Solutions)
- Tuition Waiver for Senior Citizens and Individuals with Disabilities
- Employer/Sponsor Paid Tuition
- Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS)
- Local Office of Workforce Development
Program Length
12-15 months
Courses start in July at CCBC Hunt Valley (evenings and weekends), in September/October at CCBC Essex (evenings and weekends), and in February at CCBC Randallstown (evenings and weekends).
Program Requirements
Information/Orientation Sessions:
Mandatory: Students are required to attend an orientation after provisional acceptance into this course series.
Requirements:
Student must submit documentation to confirm BRPT Certification, and of prior coursework as necessary.
High School Diploma or GED; computer literate; and Internet access.
Students must have the following paperwork turned in to the coordinator PRIOR to clinicals:
- Negative PPD (six months) or negative chest x-ray less than one year old
- Positive titer or proof of vaccination/immunity for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella
- Current Flu vaccination
- Hepatitis B vaccination or declination form
- Tetanus shot (within 10 years)
- Copy of health insurance card
- Copy of high school diploma or GED
- Clinical eligibility is partly dependent on a criminal background check and random urine drug testing. Cost of testing is the responsibility of the student. Go to http://precheck.com/ for more information.
Application Process
Provisional Entry - The Sleep Technologist program requires the following application and acceptance process:
1. New Students: Call CCBC Registration at 443-840-2222 or 443-840-4700 to apply for a CCBC Student Identification (ID) number. Application cost is $10.00. After receiving your ID number, proceed to Step 2 below.
2. Go to https://shwa.ccbcmd.edu/ to retrieve your user name and create a password.
3. Go to https://ccbcmd-bb.blackboard.com/ to access the online application.
4. Enter your User Name and Password.
5. Click the “Course” tab at the top of the page. You will see the application course for your area of study on your list: Sleep Technology Series Application - AHC 379
6. Click on the application course and read the instructions on the first page.
7. You must submit the following items by the cutoff date – ‘Assignments’ in Blackboard - to meet all of the requirements for the application:
Application (2 pages)
- Must be submitted as a .doc, .docx or .rtf
Scanned copy of one or more of the following:
- High School Diploma or other proof of completion
- GED
- College Transcript
- Other requirements for specific areas of study as detailed in Blackboard
8. Check the Blackboard “Gradebook’ for admissions decision approximately 10 days after the submission deadline.
9. Plan to attend the mandatory orientation for your series as detailed on Blackboard.
Application timeframes:
Course series starting in July: March 1 – May 1
Course series starting in September/October: June 1 – August 1
Course series starting in February: October 1 – December 1
Program Sequence
HIPAA Training, CPR and First Aid classes REQUIRE 100% attendance. Students arriving late to class will not be admitted. Late arrival to, or early exit from, class will also result in a failing grade and no refund. Students will then be required to retake the class at their expense.
|
Course Number
|
Course Title
|
Course Hours
|
Costs
T=Tuition/F=Fees
|
Textbook Information
(approximate cost; subject to change)
|
|
Module I:
|
|
AHL 133
|
Introduction to Polysomnography
|
40
|
$299
T-132/F-$167
|
Handouts
|
|
Module I Totals:
|
40
|
$299
T-132/F-$167
|
$0
|
|
Module II:
|
|
AHL 099
|
Polysomnographic Technology Training (includes 5 practicum classes)
|
56
|
$1089
T-$110/F-$979
|
1) Essentials of Polysomnography Bundle; ISBN 9781284059595; $180; and
2) Fundamentals of Sleep Technology; ISBN 978145133208; $165
|
|
AHL 102
|
Sleep Clinical Internship – NPSG
|
100
|
$549
T-$220/F-$329
|
Online materials
|
|
Module II Totals:
|
156
|
$1638
T-$330/F-$1308
|
$345.00
|
|
Module III:
|
|
AHL 702
|
Neuromuscular Anatomy and Pathophysiology
|
32
|
$610
T-$220/F-$390
|
Online materials
|
|
AHL 703
|
Cardiorespiratory Anatomy and Pathophysiology
|
32
|
$610
T-$220/F-$390
|
Online materials
|
|
AHL 100
|
Positive Airway Pressure Techniques
|
40
|
$469
T-$165/F-304
|
Handouts online
|
|
AHL 103
|
Clinical Internship - Day/Scoring
|
100
|
$549
T-$220/F-$329
|
Online materials
|
|
Module III Totals:
|
204
|
$2238
T-$825/F-$1413
|
$0
|
|
Module IV:
|
|
AHL 098
|
Sleep Staging & Scoring Guidelines
|
40
|
$479
T-$165/F-$314
|
Online materials
|
|
AHL713
|
Polysomnographic Clinicals
|
80
|
$866
T-$220/F-$646
|
None
|
|
AHL 104
|
Sleep Clinical Internship – Titration
|
100
|
$549
T-220/F-$329
|
None
|
|
AHL 134
|
BRPT Board Exam Preparation for CAAHEP
|
40
|
$229
T-$99/F-$130
|
None
|
|
Module IV Totals:
|
260
|
$2333
T-$803/F-$1530
|
$0
|
|
Course Series Totals:
|
660
|
$6508
T-$2090/F-$4418
|
$345.00
|
Additional Information
Additional Expenses:
Course Series: Students are responsible for the cost of all medical testing, background check, drug screening, and scrubs/uniforms. These expenses total approximately $800.
Post-Course Series: Licensure is obtained through the Maryland Board of Physicians at a cost of $200. This cost includes registration of your certification and license as an Allied Health Care provider through the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Sleep Technologists must be certified and licensed to work in the State of Maryland.
Skills for Success:
See the Technical Standards at the end of this document.
Career Opportunities:
There is currently a large shortage of sleep technologists in the state of Maryland due to certification and licensure regulations. Regulations currently state you must participate in a CAAHEP accredited program to receive certification in MD.
Contact Information
Coordinator: Rachel Newman Waddy; rnewmanwaddy@ccbcmd.edu; 443-840-1655; Essex, HTEC 013C
Administrative Assistant: Nancy Laubach; nlaubach@ccbcmd.edu; 443-840-1819; Essex, HTEC 013
Technical Standards
Technical Standards for CCBC’s Sleep (Polysomnographic) Technologist Training Series
The primary goal of The Community College of Baltimore County’s Polysomnographic Technologist Series is to adequately prepare students for an entry-level position in the sleep medicine field. Sleep Technicians are critical staff in preparing for and conducting the actual sleep studies. They also play a vital role in the reading and scoring of studies before they are reported to physicians.
The duties of a sleep tech require the ability to stay focused on a variety of patients/equipment during ten to twelve hour night shifts. They need to exercise safe practices while exposed to unpleasant sights, odors, materials, and communicable diseases. Their duties also require them to be detail oriented and to have strong human relation skills. A high level of manual dexterity, psychomotor skills, and integrity are vital.
Following is a partial listing of the types of skills usually required for adequate job performance:
Physical Requirements:
A. Sufficient strength and mobility to:
- Lift and position patients as needed.
- Move swiftly within close quarters
- Lift up to 50 pounds without assistance
- Move quickly among tasks in different areas of the sleep center
- Sit for long periods of time
- Stand for periods of one hour or more
- B. Fine motor coordination sufficient to perform precise and delicate tasks such as:
- Set up equipment such as EKG and EEG machines requiring excellent manual dexterity in both hands
- Perform a variety of tasks requiring strong eye-hand coordination
- Record medical information into an electronic record system
C. Adequate vision to:
- Read physician or lab orders
- Read small numbers on thermometers, sphygmomanometers, or other equipment
- Read printouts (electronic or paper) of sleep equipment
- Recognize patterns on EEG/EKG and other machines/equipment
- Read small print as found on medication labels
- Read instruction sheets and computer screens
D. Sufficient hearing to:
- Hear and understand verbal instructions under noisy conditions from masked personnel
- Sufficiently record breaths, heart rate or other sounds in noisy conditions
- Hear equipment sounds that indicate need for attention (beeps, buzzers)
- Respond to audible alerts from patients
Interpersonal Skills and Professionalism:
A. Have the ability to:
- Work in a professional manner as a member of a medical team in stressful situations
- Remain calm and perform as trained during emergency and life and death situations
- Interact in a professional manner with many personalities and attitudes and with people from many different backgrounds
- Respect and protect patient rights and confidentiality without regard to personal beliefs and judgments
- Maintain proper certifications required to perform the duties of the profession
- Work shifts as assigned, which may include on-call, holidays, and weekends
- Respond professionally to patients, colleagues and physicians in all circumstances
- Demonstrate a strong work ethic (reliable, dependable, strong attendance)
- Demonstrate ability to be detail oriented and work with little direct supervision
B. Sufficient communication skills to:
- Give and receive accurate written and verbal instructions
- Carry out all written and verbal instructions
- Follow proper channels of communication
- Communicate in a calm and professional manner
- Accurately interpret the patient’s needs
- Communicate clearly and effectively to any team member
- Provide patient/public education
Intellectual Ability and Emotional Stability To:
- Exercise independent judgment to properly care for patients
- Accurately utilize all resource material available to perform tasks assigned
- Accurately identify, calculate dosage, and transfer medications
- Work calmly and efficiently in stressful situations
- Maintain calm during emergency situations
- Perform duties while exposed to communicable diseases and unpleasant sights, odors, and materials
- Accept feedback from others
- Complete program requirements
- Competently operate computers and medical equipment used in sleep medicine
Environment Requirements:
Sleep Technician work involves risks and/or discomforts that require special safety precautions including, but not limited to:
- Wearing gowns, caps, masks, gloves, and eye protection
- Providing proof of recent immunizations against infectious diseases such as measles, mumps, and rubella
- Receiving Hepatitis B vaccine and annual testing for exposure to tuberculosis
- Submitting to periodic drug screening
- Being exposed to bio-hazardous materials (blood) on rare occasions
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