What Is A Polysomnographic Technologist Or A “Polysomnographer?”

Polysomnography is an exciting area of healthcare that has emerged as a unique profession for performing the technical evaluation of a broad range of sleep disorders. The field of polysomnography (PSG) involves the complex evaluation of many physiological parameters during sleep to produce a quantitative “sleep study.” PSG evaluations are necessary to document sleep disorders and to assist physicians in identifying sleep issues and the appropriate treatment. The disruption of proper sleep can complicate or cause many chronic disorders and conditions.

What Is The Job Outlook?

There is a critical need for well-trained healthcare professionals in the area of polysomnography. The field of sleep studies, or polysomnography, is a rapidly growing area of health professions. Estimates reflect over 20,000 sleep labs and sleep centers are currently performing sleep diagnostics with only 8,000 credentialed Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (RPSGT) in the nation. Medical practice and insurance guidelines require each sleep lab to have access to a RPSGT healthcare professional in order to process the diagnostic data before completing and returning the study results to the physician. The need for credentialed, well-trained RPSGT professionals is profound. According to the National Sleep Foundation, over 82 million Americans suffer from sleeping disorders with greater than 12 million Americans suffering from obstructive sleep apnea.

Who Should Apply?
The qualities of a Polysomnographic Technologist include being a caring person, people-oriented, knowledgeable of the biological sciences, an ethical, critical-thinker and a strong problem solver. The Post-Bac PSG Course of Studies is designed for individuals holding a bachelor’s degree prior to admission to the program.

What Are The Requirements?
Admission requirements to the Post-Bac PSG Course of Studies at Texas State are the completion of a bachelor’s degree, admission to Texas State Graduate College, an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher, completion of the Post-Bac Polysomnography Course of Studies application packet, credentialed as a RRT, CRT, or any healthcare credential with a patient-care focus, and an interview with the Department Chair of Respiratory Care or a faculty member.

Additional Information:
Department of Respiratory Care
Or the College of Graduate Studies
Texas State University-San Marcos
601 University Drive
San Marcos, Texas 78666-4616
(512) 245-8243

Prospective Students: Individuals with RRT credential and a bachelor degree OR individuals with a bachelor degree and credentialed (state or national) as an allied health professional with a patient-care focus. Upon completion of the course of studies, 18 graduate hours will be awarded. Students who are admitted to the Interdisciplinary Studies program may petition up to 15 post graduate hours from the polysomnography program for degree credit toward a Masters of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (MSIS) degree at Texas State. The PSG Program is fully-accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) through 2016.

FALL

RC 5310 Fundamentals of Polysomnography. (3-0) Introduction to the physiology of sleep including sleep neurology, sleep architecture, classification of sleep disorders. Review of basic cardiac physiology and ECG arrhythmnia recognition. Sleep pathologies will be discussed according to etiology, pathophysiology, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.

RC 5211 Polysomnography Instrumentation I. (2-0) Designed to teach the function, operation and design of electroneurodiagnostic equipment. Monitoring devices, electrode application and patient connection will be covered in detail.

RC 5412 Clinical Polysomnography-Sleep Staging I. (0-10) Direct patient diagnostic monitoring is performed under close supervision in a sleep lab. Differential amplifiers, amplifier calibration, artifact correction and the professional role of the sleep tech will be demonstrated.

SPRING

RC 5313 Polysomnographic Therapeutic Intervention. (3-0) In-depth study of the treatments available for sleep apnea including CPAP, BiPAP, oxygen therapy, patient adjunctive fitting, surgical intervention and the role of the sleep tech in titration. Special attention will be given titration algorithms, nocturnal seizure disorder studies, REM behavior disorder studies, MSLT’s and MWT’s.

RC 5214 Polysomnography Instrumentation II. (2-0) Advanced study of waveform characteristics and montage development, filters and PSG electronics. Signal pathways, reference electrodes, impedance checking and filter settings in calibration waves will be covered.

RC 5415 Clinical Polysomnography-Sleep Staging II. (0-10) Advanced clinical education in sleep staging rules, light, delta and REM sleep scoring and analysis. EEG, EMG, ECG and respiratory events will be discussed in depth are components of the polysomnogram report.


Total: 18 graduate hours

What is the Admission Policy for the Post-Bac Polysomnography Course of Studies?
An applicant may be admitted to the Polysomnography (PSG) Post-Bac Course of Studies by following the application procedure and meeting the following minimum admission requirements:

Individuals with a RRT credential and a bachelor degree OR individuals with a bachelor degree and credentialing (state or national) as an allied health professional with a patient-care focus.

The PSG Course of Studies is offered during the fall and spring semesters only and must be taken in sequence. Upon completion of the PSG Post-Bac courses, 18 graduate hours will be awarded. Students who are admitted to the Interdisciplinary Studies program may petition up to 15 post graduate hours from the polysomnography course of studies for degree credit toward a Masters of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (MSIS) degree at Texas State.

The PSG Course of Studies is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) through 2016.

Because the Texas State PSG Course of Studies is fully accredited and upon completion, individuals can immediately sit for the BRPT national board exam without serving a paid clinical internship.

In order to provide a pathway for non-RC credentialed healthcare providers wishing to transition into polysomnography, a PSG Bridge Curriculum has been developed. Qualified non-RC applicants that meet the CoARC criteria for eligibility will be assessed for academic and professional course completion of the “Basic Sciences” and “Specific Professional Content” areas. Transcripts will be used to verify course completion.

For non-RC professionals lacking documentation of prior education and/or training in the specific content areas, an assessment exam will be administered to comprehensively test domain knowledge. Modules and exam questions developed to specifically address the “Basic Sciences” and the “Specific RC Profession Content” areas will be utilized for the assessment and remediation. A “challenge examination” containing test questions from the specific modular content areas lacking in the non-RC professionals academic preparation will be constructed for assessment. A predetermined cut-score in each content area will be used to assess minimal competency in each content area.

Individuals requiring remediation in a basic science or specific RC content area will register for RC 4246, Respiratory Care Internship during the summer preceding the fall semester and modular studies will be provided. After studying the modules, the individual will be retested on the modular content until minimal competency can be demonstrated via the cut score. Successful completion of all required modular exams for RC 4246 will result in a “CR” (credit) on the individual’s Texas State transcript. The individual will then be considered qualified to begin the PSG curricular studies in the fall.

The following areas must be represented on an individual’s transcript or assessment of the content area through the challenge examination will be required:

Licensure/credentialing/professional association membership/professional behavior/cultural awareness/diversity (Module 1)