The FNUSA-ICRC Sleep Center organized the eighth Course of Sleep Technicians
Last week, the Cardiovascular Sleep Research Center trained for the eighth time sleep technicians, the presence of which is a condition for the accreditation of a workplace providing diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders. The International Clinical Research Center of St. Anne’s University Hospital Brno has been organizing courses since 2016 as the only institution in the Czech Republic.
The course participants first became acquainted with the theory, but most of the time was spent practicing in sleep laboratories. “One day they go through theories from the field of neurology, cardiology and lung medicine, the next days they learn practical skills from our certified sleep technicians,” described the head nurse of the FNUSA-ICRC Libuše Martináková and added that the whole course ends with an oral exam.
At the same time, at the end of the current course, examinations of graduates of the February course took place, which had to be postponed due to the pandemic. This also affected this course. “Out of the originally registered ten participants, only seven took part in the course. Due to the current situation, some applicants from Slovakia could not reach it, “Libuše Martináková explained:” However, there were no changes in the course program. Participants complied with all government regulations, sat with gaps and face masks, and moved in the workplace with caution and control during practical training. ”
A certified sleep technician must have a secondary or university education in the field of general nurse, medical laboratory technician or other medical field that deals with sleep and wakefulness disorders, their diagnosis and treatment. Following the example of the USA and the western states of the EU, since 2016 the Czech Society for Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine has been trying to integrate sleep techniques more into the professional diagnostic-therapeutic process in sleep laboratories. “Doctors in the sleep centers of individual hospitals are overwhelmed by patients. Certified sleep technicians significantly help doctors, “commented prof. MUDr. Ondřej Ludka, Ph.D., head of the FNUSA-ICRC Cardiovascular Sleep Research Center, added that there is a growing interest in courses.
The Sleep Center is accredited by the Czech Society for Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine and is on the list of European Sleep Research Laboratories. It can therefore train scientists from all over the European Union. In addition to courses for sleep technicians, it also organizes theoretical courses in sleep medicine for physicians.
