Sleep Tech Tip of the Week

By Lynnette Shafer, RPSGT

I haven’t always worn scrubs or business suits to work every day. Several years ago, my professional wardrobe included a crisp uniform complete with a badge, .45 caliber handgun, pepper spray, defense baton, body armor and a really cool mode of transportation complete with lights and sirens. Yes, I was a police officer! A few years later, I found myself to be a laid-off, unemployed Police/Corrections Officer with two young daughters to support on my own. Ouch.

Once I decided to make a career change into health care, I beat myself up almost daily for previously attending the Police Academy and being bound by the monthly payment of the student loans that came with that education. Once my colleagues learned of my drastic career change, we would joke that I could be a “PRN security chick” if I needed extra hours at the hospital. I would frequently complain to anyone that would listen that I had a college education that “will never benefit me.”

Fast forward another decade to present-day. I have realized that the education was not a waste, I learned valuable lessons in my previous “life” that could help so many in healthcare, especially those working in the sleep industry where we frequently work alone and often in precarious situations.

Because this is such a broad topic, I have chosen to target female sleep techs for this article. Sorry guys, no offense!

Pretend

How often has a patient asked, “Are you here all alone tonight?” Yes ladies, you have to tell a little white lie here. NEVER admit to being alone. Simply answer, “no, WE don’t work alone.” By saying “we” you have likely convinced the patient that there are at least two techs working. When you leave the patient’s room, it’s a good idea to talk to your imaginary co-worker so the patient can hear you through their door. This will further convince them that you are working with another tech. Talking to yourself will seem strange at first but you will soon feel comfortable doing so. My suggestion is to have a memorized, never-changing sentence that you blurt out once you leave the patient’s room. Mine went something like this:
“David, room 2 is ready for bio-cals and will be lights out in about ten minutes.”

Cover up!

It is very important that we pay close attention to the areas of our body that we expose to patients. Scrub tops should fit in a way that the bra or cleavage is not visible to patients, even when bending. “Low rider” pants should be covered with a lab coat or a long scrub top. Keep in mind, most scrubs are designed for comfort for medical staff working on their feet all day. I am guessing that medical uniform designers rarely take into consideration that not all healthcare workers simply stand or sit all day. Some have to bend at the waist or get onto the floor in front of a patient for one reason or another on a daily basis. Some people are easily aroused by the mere site of lingerie and it’s just not worth looking “cute” while on duty when you could simply avoid a dangerous situation by wearing a t-shirt under your scrubs and pants that cover completely when bending at the waist.

Move Your Feet!

When applying belts or when reaching across the patient in bed, use care not to press your upper body into the patient. So many times in sleep centers I’ve heard techs say “OK, I’m going to give you a big bear hug so we can put the belts on!” I cringe every time I hear that! You should never allow your body to touch the patient’s body. An alternative to the “hug method” is to ask the patient to hold one end of the belt in place on their chest or abdomen while you walk around the patient to connect the other end. Another common mistake made by sleep techs is reaching over the patient to adjust something on the other side of the bed. If you are standing at the bedside and it is necessary to adjust something on the opposite side of the patient, it is best to walk around the other side of the bed to adjust it. Keep in mind, by reaching across the patient, you are exposing and possibly touching them with your breasts which could either be offensive to the patient or create unnecessary arousal that for some is uncontrollable. You also place yourself in an unbalanced position which leaves you vulnerable to being grabbed and possibly assaulted right there in the sleep lab!

Say NO!

During my first week of sleep training, my awesome teacher, Laura Linley, RRT, RPSGT reinforced on a daily basis that while working in the sleep center, you run the show. Your job is to maintain patient safety while performing a clean, accurate study. I’m sure many of you have heard stories of patients asking to sleep nude or telling their tech that they can’t sleep unless they masturbate first. There is absolutely no place for either in any medical setting. You must stand your ground and in a professional, direct manner, explain that this type of behavior is simply not allowed in the sleep center.

Sex Offenders

What does a sex offender look like? Have you ever suspected your patient is on the sex offender list based on the stereotypical “sex offender look” and immediately go to the internet to look him/her up? It’s important to remember that sex offenders don’t look a certain way. It’s also important to remember that just like using universal precautions for HIV or Hepatitis, we as sleep techs must use precautions with all patients, young or old, male or female so we don’t place ourselves in any of the aforementioned precarious situations. You cannot discriminate or refuse to treat a patient just because he or she is a registered sex-offender. By treating all patients as though they COULD be a sex offender and practicing the same precautions with every patient, you will help to ensure your safety while working solo. However, if a known sex offender is coming to your facility, you can, and probably should ask another staff member to stay with you for the night.

Break the Pattern

Because sleep techs typically arrive at night and leave in the morning, frequently before dawn, our patterns are sometimes more obvious to onlookers. Headlights on a car pulling into a parking lot or your driveway at home are much more noticeable than a car pulling into the same lot or drive during the day. It’s important to be aware of your surroundings and to try not to set a pattern each night with the same routine. Don’t linger in the parking lot. Move quickly but confidently from your car to the building and have the key ready to open the door. Take a different route to and from work from time to time and consider entering through an alternate parking lot entrance on occasion. If permitted, vary your arrival and departure times by five to ten minutes several times a month. These tips will help to reduce the risk of being spotted by a shadow-lurking criminal as an easy target. As a rule, criminals don’t like a challenge. They prefer to take the easy way out and by mixing up your routine once in a while; you will likely decrease the odds of becoming a victim of crime.

Don’t be a victim!

Always err on the side of caution, if you have a ‘gut feeling’ that something just isn’t right, you should trust that feeling and act appropriately. Don’t hesitate to call your local police department to discuss patrol in the area of the freestanding sleep center during the time of your arrival and your patients’ arrival. They will probably be happy to increase their presence in the area at night and in the early morning hours. The same is true for hospital security patrol. Your local law-enforcement office is also a good resource for more information on basic self defense courses. You can never be too safe!

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Tags: difficult patient, patient safety, personal safety, safety, sleep lab safety, sleep medicine, sleep study, sleep study preparation, sleep tech safety