Technical Standards for the Sleep (Polysomnographic) Technology Certificate Program for Admission and Retention
Students preparing for a career in Sleep (Polysomnographic) Technology are expected to perform diagnostic and therapeutic techniques safely and accurately according to national and state guidelines. Students must be able to perform the following:
- Maintain clinical competence under challenging and sometimes stressful situations.
- Gather, assess and interpret patient data, and respond appropriately to changes in disease signs and symptoms, patient conditions and mental status (e.g. breathing, cardiac and neurologic patterns).
- Respond appropriately to changes in equipment function/ malfunction and safety alarms.
- Be able to talk and hear, utilizing effective written and spoken English when interacting with patients, their families, and other health care professionals.
- Demonstrate physical dexterity, including the ability to use hands, fingers, arms, and legs to effectively and efficiently reach for and move both equipment and patients.
- Be able to stand, balance, walk, sit, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, or climb as needed to perform sleep testing and treatment modalities.
- Be able to regularly lift up to 10 pounds, frequently move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift 50 or more pounds.
- Have visual abilities that include: close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
- Record, read, write and interpret data about a patient's condition from diagnostic equipment, patient charts, and computer information systems.
- Respond to medical emergencies in a timely manner and perform life sustaining procedures appropriately (e.g. cardiopulmonary resuscitation, airway management).
- Practice appropriate infection control precautions and barrier methods.
- Exercise proper clinical and intellectual judgment.
- Work as an effective healthcare team member.
- Demonstrate professional affective behaviors when interacting with patients, their families, and colleagues.
Students having a past criminal record must declare this situation at the time of admission. Certain types of criminal offenses may result in an inability to receive professional licensure and job offers upon graduation. Before starting the program, students in this situation must speak with the program director to determine the extent of possible future difficulties with this issue.
Clinical Education Statement
Clinical Rotations
Clinical rotation assignments are made by the Program Director. Students are assigned to rotate through clinical sites at the end of their junior year (approximately mid April – mid July) and senior year (approximately mid November – end of January and mid April – mid June). The student must be available for variation in length (8 hour and/or 12 hour shifts), times (morning, evening and/ or night shift), and days (Monday – Friday) of the clinical rotations. On occasion students will be assigned to weekend clinical rotations.
Transportation
Students must assume all responsibility for transportation to and from the assigned clinical sites. Reliable transportation is necessary as “car pooling” is not always an option. Most clinical sites are within a 50 mile radius of the Stony Brook University campus.
Stony Brook University complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. A prospective student who is otherwise qualified, but requires a reasonable accommodation, should contact Disability Support Services at Stony Brook University in room 128 at the Educational Communications Center (ECC) building; telephone number: 631- 632-6748. They will determine what accommodations are necessary and appropriate.
All information and documentation is confidential.
All technical standards must be met with either reasonable accommodation or without accommodation.
