A sleep lab technician monitors patients during sleep studies, installs EEG monitoring equipment, and reads results. They must have prior training and certification. Sleep studies help determine why patients have trouble sleeping, and technicians must explain procedures to patients and monitor equipment for many hours. Technicians also assist in the final diagnosis of findings and ensure results are sent to the patient’s primary physician.
A sleep lab technician, also known as a polysomnographic technician, is responsible for monitoring patients during a sleep study. He or she should know how to inform patients about procedures and answer any questions about the sleep lab. In addition, a technician must be able to install electroencephalographic (EEG) monitoring equipment and read it properly. This job requires a lot of technical knowledge, and a sleep lab technician will usually obtain a certification before taking the job.
A sleep study is a clinical research tool used to determine why individuals are having trouble sleeping, not sleeping, not sleeping well, or a combination of these problems. These tests require a patient to spend the night in a lab, hooked up to brainwave monitors and often recorded by a video camera. These sleep study results are then examined to further determine what physical or mental issues are prohibiting the patient from having a healthy sleep cycle.
To help with this process, a sleep lab technician should have prior training. He or she participates in a technical program centered on achieving a sleep laboratory technician certification. To earn certification, a student must study sleep tools, understand how to read results, and be an expert in security and communication.
After sleep lab technician certification, work focuses on lab studies. The technician’s first responsibility is to deal with patients. He or she must first brief the patient on the process, explain what each machine does, and answer any questions that arise. Second, the technician connects the patient to the appropriate equipment. These are, in most cases, EEG brainwave monitor sensors and heart rate monitors that adhere to the skin on the head and chest.
Another major responsibility of a sleep lab technician is to monitor these complex machines for many hours. Traditionally, a sleep study lasts eight to 10 hours overnight to observe a normal sleep situation. This means that the technician must look at many charts, graphs and monitors to see what each patient’s body is doing during the study.
Many technicians also assist the sleep technician or director in the final diagnosis of findings. Reviewing tables and graphs and comparing results with known symptoms is an important part of diagnosis. Another responsibility of some technicians is to ensure that these results are sent to the patient’s primary physician for a final evaluation.
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