St. Alexius Sleep Center Featured in National Publication
Posted on 5/10/2007
The Sleep Center at St. Alexius Medical Center was featured in the May issue of the AARC Times, the official publication of the American Association for Respiratory Care. Pictured on the front cover is Lori A. Jorgenson, BS, RRT, RPSGT and Tara Vander Laan, BS, RRT, RPSGT, both from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine-accredited Sleep Center at St. Alexius Medical Center.
In the article, Jorgenson and Vander Laan discuss their careers in the field of respiratory therapy and how they found their way into sleep medicine. “I was fortunate to break into the field of sleep during its infancy in the hospital. We continue to evolve and currently perform up to 80 PSGs each month,” says Jorgenson. Vander Laan goes on to explain how her background in respiratory therapy facilitated into sleep: “A respiratory therapy background can help lay the foundation for a career in sleep. The physical science, like cardiac and respiratory pathophysiology, and treatment options, like oxygen and CPAP therapy, all helped facilitate the learning process.”
About the St. Alexius Sleep Center
The Sleep Center at St. Alexius Medical Center has met all the standards to be accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The Sleep Center provides comprehensive clinical evaluation, diagnostic and management of children and adults with all forms of sleep disorders. The staff consists of registered respiratory therapists, registered polysomnographic technologists, neurologists and two physicians specially trained and board-certified in Sleep Medicine.
(Below is a reprint of the article that appears in the magazine.)
RT’s Working in Sleep Centers
As the demand for sleep testing increases, more and more respiratory therapists are making the transition from managing ventilators and delivering treatments to testing people for sleep disorders in sleep centers. In the following interview, Lori A. Jorgenson, BS, RRT, RPSGT, and Tara Vander Laan, BS, RRT, RPSGT, both from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine-accredited Sleep Center at St. Alexius Medical Center in Bismarck, ND, tell how they went from traditional respiratory care to polysomnography and how it has enhanced their careers.
AARC Times: How long have you been a respiratory therapist, and what were you doing before you decided to get into the sleep field?
Jorgenson: I have been working as a respiratory therapist for nearly seven years. When I made the decision to pursue a career in the field of sleep, I was working in a hospital setting in the adult ICU and on the general floors.
Vander Laan: I have been a respiratory therapist for almost six years. Prior to sleep, I worked in a hospital setting as an ICU therapist, as well as did general floor therapy.
AARC Times: What led to your interest in sleep, and how did you break into the field?
Jorgenson: My interest in sleep was sparked by an open position in our hospital. The “sleep lab” at that time consisted of a very small area with two ancient machines. The lab was run by two neurodiagnostic technicians who would perform polysomnograms (PSGs) as their schedules would permit – approximately 10 tests per month. I shadowed the neuro techs and found the field fascinating. I was very fortunate to break into the field of sleep during its infancy in this hospital. We continue to evolve and currently perform up to 80 PSGs each month.
Vander Laan: I was able to start in sleep five years ago when our sleep center was increasing to six beds. At the time I did not know a lot about sleep, but I was interested in the opportunity to try something new. The phrases “sleep will be big” or “sleep is growing fast” is what I heard the most about sleep.
AARC Times: How do you believe your background in respiratory care facilitated your transition into sleep, and how are you still using your respiratory therapy skills today in this arena?
Jorgenson: As a respiratory therapist, you must practice critical thinking on a daily basis. The same is true with sleep technology. Respiratory care training also provided me with the cardio and respiratory background I needed for the transition into sleep. The puzzle was completed by learning electroencephalography (EEG), which I was fortunate enough to be able to learn through on-the-job experience.
Vander Laan: A respiratory therapy background can help lay the foundation for a career in sleep. The physical science, like cardiac and respiratory pathophysiology, and treatment options, like oxygen and CPAP therapy, all help facilitate the learning process. The EEG component comes with further education and experience. Critical thinking skills and troubleshooting skills are still used a lot in sleep, as there are usually very few resources to confer with when running or scoring a study.
AARC Times: What’s the biggest difference between working in a sleep lab and working in a respiratory therapy department?
Jorgenson: I believe that the biggest difference between working in a respiratory therapy department and working in a sleep lab is the independence and confidence one must have when it comes to decision making. Due to the more solitary environment, a sleep tech must be able to think critically on an independent basis without input from colleagues, during both the acquisition and interpretation phases of a study.
Vander Laan: Working with patients on a one-to-one or one-to-two ratio is one of the biggest differences when starting to work in a sleep center. It allows a therapist to spend time educating patients and answering questions without feeling rushed. It also allows time to work with patients and encourage them to tolerate continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), or find that right interface to make CPAP application and treatment successful. In a hospital setting, there is not always this extra time to spend with your patient. The extra education and encouragement all leads to better compliance and to the better overall health of your patients.
AARC Times: What’s the most rewarding part of the job?
Jorgenson: The most rewarding part of this job is witnessing a patient respond well to treatment. It is truly amazing to me that a patient who has been suffering with sleep problems for years can be successfully diagnosed and treated during an eight-hour test.
Vander Laan: The most rewarding part of my job is seeing the improvement in a patient’s sleep and quality of life. It’s great to see the sleep-disordered breathing patient start really living again after successful CPAP treatment. It is also rewarding to know that the narcoleptic patient who was just diagnosed is going to know a whole new life and understand that their sleepiness does not need to be the normal way of life for them.
AARC Times: What advice would you give to fellow respiratory therapists who may be interested in getting into the sleep field?
Jorgenson: I would encourage all RTs to seize the opportunities available to them. Sleep medicine may not be for everyone, but it is a constantly changing and evolving field. If you enjoy a challenge, you may want to take a closer look at sleep.
Vander Laan: Your career is what you make of it. If you have the interest and drive to work in sleep medicine, there are endless opportunities for you in today’s medical world.