Overview
The Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital AASM Sleep Team Education Program (ASTEP) is an accredited program set up by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine to provide standardized education for sleep trainees and technicians. The program offers the Introduction to Sleep Medicine for Technologists Course. Upon successful completion of this course, students will complete the online Introduction to Sleep Medicine for Technologists Modules, which consists of 26 teaching modules and are independent of the course offered at Mercy Hospital.
The Introduction to Sleep Medicine for Sleep Technologists Course is a 10-day program running Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., for a total of 80 hours. It includes lecture/classroom time, hands-on demonstration, and return demonstration of sleep skills. This blended course is a lead-in to prepare for the Introduction to Sleep Medicine for Technologists Modules, offered independently of this program.
Completing the Introduction to Sleep Medicine for Technologists Modules is a prerequisite for the sleep registry examination. Since July 2010, the Introduction to Sleep Medicine for Sleep Technologists Course and the Introduction to Sleep Medicine for Technologists Modules have been required before taking the Board of Registered Polysomnography Technologists (BRPT) exam. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine is the accrediting body.
Graduates of the ASTEP Program will be equipped with the foundational knowledge, skills, and professional values necessary to excel in sleep medicine. After completing the course, students can apply for a Sleep Technology Position at Mercy Hospital contingent on completing the Introduction to Sleep Medicine for Technologists course and 6 months of patient care experience. If hired at a part-time or full-time level, they are eligible to seek tuition reimbursement upon completion of their 90-day probationary period, according to our tuition reimbursement policy.
* Cleveland Clinic does not discriminate in admission, employment, or administration of its programs or activities, on the basis of age, gender, race, national origin, religion, creed, color, marital status, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, ethnicity, ancestry, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, Cleveland Clinic administers all programs and services without regard to disability, and provides reasonable accommodations for otherwise qualified disabled individuals.
Application
Application Requirements
To be considered for admission, applicants must submit the following:
- Application – Must be completed in full by the applicant for admission. The application will be coming soon.
- Copy of High School Diploma or equivalency – A copy of your high school diploma must be submitted, but this can be substituted with a copy of your college diploma if applicable.
- Resume – A complete resume is required.
- Statement of Purpose – Submit a short typed, double-spaced essay, minimum 250 words.
- Current AHA CPR Certification.
Tuition
Tuition must be paid in full in the amount of $1,750. Tuition payments are accepted through the program's online tuition payment system by the student, or another party authorized to pay on the student's behalf. Tuition must be paid in full before the scheduled start date of classes or the student will be prohibited from attending the program.
Program Description
Please note that Program Description details are subject to change.
Day 1: Introduction to Sleep and Disorders of Sleep
The student will learn an introduction to the field of clinical polysomnography with emphasis in sleep definitions and functions, the role of the sleep technologist in patient confidentiality and HIPAA regulations, infection control, and patient safety. The course also gives an overview of sleep disorders, circadian rhythms and summarizing the PSG report together with strategies for coping with shift work.
Day 2: EEG and Sleep Staging
The student will learn normal sleep architecture and the characteristics of sleep stages. Non –REM stages Wake, N1, N2, N3 and stage REM will be discussed and polysomnographic examples will show how these variables, viewed collectively, provide diagnostic information regarding normal and/or abnormal sleep. Hands on scoring will comprise a large portion of the course with numerous practice opportunities. The course includes scoring of EEG (brainwave) arousals, Digital Concepts of Analog- to Digital Conversion (ADC), horizontal and vertical resolution and instrument settings together with sampling rate dwell time, aliasing, and bit capacity as it relates to polysomnography.
Day 3: Cardiovascular Monitoring
The student will learn basic cardiac anatomy and physiology as it relates to the field of sleep as well as an introduction to basic ECG signal generation and demonstration of normal and abnormal ECG signals. This knowledge will serve as an initial exposure to identify emergency and non–emergency situations regarding cardiac rhythm disturbances.
Day 4: Respiratory Monitoring
The student will learn the anatomical structures related to breathing and the way that they work together will provide the student with a basis for understanding the more common respiratory abnormalities seen in the sleep lab, and the distinguishing characteristics of respiratory scoring. Instruction in how the brain, chemical composition of the blood, and feedback mechanisms from the chest wall must properly communicate to produce a normal respiratory pattern.
Day 5: Sleep Related Breathing Disorders
The student will learn about the most common disease states that may be present to the sleep lab. Discussion will include the background, clinical presentation, pathology, and diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndromes, Central Sleep Apnea, and Hypoventilation together with scoring respiratory events.
Day 6: Treatment for Sleep Related Breathing Disorders
The student will learn the basics of the various therapeutic interventions of Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP/ BiLevel), and O2 used during the course of a sleep study. Proper mask fitting techniques, vital to a patient’s tolerance of the interventions, will be reviewed.
Day 7: Sleep Related Movement Disorders and EMG Monitoring
The student will learn an overview of muscular structure and function as it relates to sleep, specifics regarding the lower extremities, chin, and upper airway. This information will be a precursor for the discussion of Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD) and Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). A presentation of the criteria for scoring periodic limb movements and how to chart the findings will be discussed in this course.
Day 8: Narcolepsy, MSLT, & MWT, Sleep Related Seizures and Parasomnias
The student will learn about specific sleep disorders, emphasis is put on disorders such as Parasomnias, Seizures, and Narcolepsy or Idiopathic Central Nervous System Hypersomnia as evaluated by the polysomnography. Specific sleep testing protocols used in the assessment of disorders of excessive daytime somnolence. Disorders such as Narcolepsy or Idiopathic Central Nervous System Hypersomnia can be evaluated by the combination of night time polysomnography followed by a Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) starting the following morning. The test measures the time it takes to fall asleep when the opportunity is presented. An alternative to MSLT is the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT) which investigates how long wakefulness can be maintained. Electrode placement, complex procedural information and scoring criteria will be discussed.
Day 9: Insomnia, Circadian Rhythm and Psychiatric Disorders
The student will learn about circadian rhythm concepts and how it relates to normal sleep. This course emphasizes on the comprehension of deviations of normal sleep in relation to insomnia, psychiatric and behavioral disorders.
Day 10: Pediatric Polysomnography
The student will learn an adequate differential diagnosis and three types of sleep- related problems in children, insomnias, hypersomnias, and abnormal activity or behaviors during sleep. The course demonstrates the importance of hook-up, acquisition for an overnight study, and scoring basics and differences as it relates to adults.
Program Instructors
- Benjamin Benedetti, RPSGT, Program Director/Technical Director
- Albert Kim, MD, Clinical Director
- Nader Botros, MD
- Jacqueline Paulik, RRT
- Hanna Dennis, RRT-SDS
- Mark Beebe, MBA, RRT
- Samantha Sinsel, RPSGT
- Jessica Bailey, RPSGT
Goals
The Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital AASM Sleep Team Education Program’s (ASTEP) objectives and goals are:
- To introduce basic clinical and polysomnographic concepts of sleep medicine to trainees in the field of polysomnographic technology.
- To discuss the role of the sleep technologist and illustrate career opportunities in this profession.
- To instruct trainees in the recording and scoring of polysomnograms and daytime tests in the sleep laboratory.
- To prepare trainees for the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologist certification examination.
- To promote the involvement of technologists in sleep medicine education and research.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the training course held?
The training course is held at Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital in Canton, OH.
How will I be notified if I have been accepted into the program?
Once your application has been reviewed you will be notified via email or phone that you have been accepted.
How do I pay my tuition?
Upon acceptance into the ASTEP Program, tuition must be paid in full in the amount of $1,750. Tuition payments are accepted through the program's online tuition payment system by the student, or another party authorized to pay on the student's behalf. Students who will have their tuition paid for by another party, such as an employer, should forward the instructions and payment link to the appropriate party for payment. Tuition must be paid in full before the scheduled start date of classes or the student will be prohibited from attending the program.
If you have questions, please contact: benedeb2@ccf.org.
I am coming from out of state, will my hotel be provided for me or do I need to make my own arrangements?
You will need to make your own accommodation arrangements.
Are meals included?
Meals are not provided and are not included in the cost of the training program. However, there is a Subway located inside the hospital, as well as a cafeteria. There are also a variety of restaurants located within close proximity to the suggested hotels.
How long am I able to cancel my enrollment and still receive a full refund?
You will need to cancel as soon as possible. One month notice is preferred.
What happens if I miss a day during the program?
Contact ASTEP Program Director or Technical Director for details at 216.440.8497.
Will I be working on actual patients?
You will be using an actual sleep lab center, but patients will either be volunteers or students within the class.
Who teaches the class?
Cleveland Clinic Sleep Disorders Center staff physicians and RPSGT’s both help give the didactic lectures during the program. Practicals are given by the RPSGT’s.
What is the job market for the sleep technologists?
Sleep Medicine is one of the fastest growing fields in health care. Millions of people suffer from any one of the various sleep disorders. There is a demand nationwide for qualified sleep technologists.
