Clinical Guidelines

It is a privilege to learn in a Sleep Disorders Center, with practicing Sleep Professionals and patients. SCC values the opportunity for students to work within their community towards their career goals.

Students are responsible for following their individual clinical sites policies, along with the clinical guidelines outlined in this document. Although not every circumstance which the student may encounter can be predicted, these guidelines provide a reference for both students and clinical sites, should the need arise.

Polysomnography Technology Clinical Guidelines

CLINICAL SITE REQUIREMENTS

1.An RPSGT or Sleep Disordered Specialist (SDS) credentialed Respiratory Therapist must be available as a preceptor.

2.All CPAP, BiLevel, and oxygen therapy titrations must comply with applicable state regulations.

3.The sleep facility must follow the AASM guidelines.

4.A preceptor will be assigned for each student at the clinical site to ensure that the student is not used as a replacement for

staff.

CLINICAL PERFORMANCE

Excessive absenteeism or tardiness
breach of confidentiality or HIPPA guidelines
performance of procedures not within the student’s description of duties
inappropriate behavior
crimes (e.g., theft)
anything termed a serious offense in the clinical facility's policy manuals are grounds for immediate termination from the Program.

Written notification will be sent to the student, Student Services, the clinical sites, and the Department Dean. If a student has special circumstances that arise in a particular clinical rotation, a written request for transfer may be submitted by the student to the instructional staff for consideration. The faculty and will make the final decision, upon clinical site recommendation.

In addition, if the student is not performing according to acceptable facility standards in a clinical rotation, the clinical site may submit a request asking that the student be removed from that rotation. The program will discuss this request with the student and the clinical site before final action is taken.

CLINICAL SCHEDULES

The student will coordinate their clinical times according to the clinical sites availability, once an Affiliation Agreement has been completed. The student is to record their clinical time including a verification signature and email address, provided by the preceptor. The student is allowed to work ahead in clinical hours. Clinical time will also be counted for the following:

- - Sleep Clinic ~ Observing the Physician interview, assess, educate and treat patient’s sleep complaints.
  - State Sleep Society meetings ~ Students are encouraged to participate in their state’s Sleep Society and attend annual conferences.
  - Home Sleep Study Set-up ~ This includes Out of Center Sleep Testing, PAP appliance set-up, PAP education.
  - PAP Set-up ~ This includes all types of PAP for home use set-up, troubleshooting or download review.

If a student must make changes to the schedule, he or she will discuss it with a faculty member, identifying when make-up times are scheduled.

CLINICAL UNIFORMS

Personal appearance is included as part of the student’s clinical evaluation.
Students are required to wear attire in accordance with their clinical sites policies. In most cases, proper scrub attire or professional cloths with the SCC picture ID nametag is accpeted.
Shoes should be appropriate and comfortable. Shoes and under shirts with bright colors (red, green, orange etc.) are not acceptable. Under shirts with visible writing on them, baggy sleeves, holes, or stains are not acceptable.
The student will bring their clinical notebook to each clinical night. The student is responsible for completing their notebook documentation each clinical night and ask the preceptor for the signature, printed name and email address.
In addition to Program requirements, students must abide by individual hospital policies regarding dress and personal appearance. Each clinical site is responsible for making these procedures available to the students attending clinical at the site.
Repeated complaints about student’s personal appearance may result in student probation. Continued complaints may result in dismissal from the program. Faculty should be contacted for any persistent problems or complaints about a student’s personal appearance.

CONDUCT AND PROGRAM DISMISSAL

1. A student’s conduct must meet the standards of the program and college explained in the Student Handbook.
2. Failure to comply with any of the written program policies will result in the implementation of the "Warning System".

a. Oral Warning -- On the first occurrence following non-compliance of a Rule and/or Regulation, the student is presented with a student conference form with the incident documented. Both the instructor and the student sign this form and it is placed in the student's file.

b. Written Warning -- If the same infraction or additional infractions of Rules and Regulations occurs a written Probationary Contact will be issued. The form is signed by both the instructor and the student and is placed in the student's file. The student is given a specific time frame to correct the infraction.

c. Dismissal -- Any occurrence of non-compliance after a second warning is given results in immediate dismissal from the program.

3. Initiation of the Warning System may also be implemented for the following reasons:

- - Poor performance in the classroom or clinical area. Example: student receives a grade below an acceptable level. Personal characteristics that interfere with successful performance in the healthcare field (for example: Insubordination).
  - Excessive or chronic attendance problems or the failure to notify the instructor and the site regarding absences.
  - Inappropriate conduct in clinical or classroom areas. Example: negligence, theft, intoxication or residual symptoms of such, etc.
  - Falsification of records or reports.
  - Cheating

4. Actual dismissal is the responsibility of the Program Director with consultation with faculty and the Dean of Health Sciences.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Confidentiality is extremely important. Information learned about patients, health care providers, or the clinical facility will not to be shared with other people. This is privileged information that you have learned only as a result of your position and responsibilities. Divulging such information is not only unethical, it may be grounds for your removal from a clinical site or from the Polysomnography program. HIPPA guidelines are strongly enforced by SCC as well as the clinical sites. Please contact the Program Director if a clinical site experiences breaches in HIPPA guidelines and/or confidentiality.

In order to comply with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 which includes Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), Health Sciences students enrolled in Southeast Community College (SCC) Health Sciences Division will not remove any protected health information (PHI) from any clinical facility. Nor will students transmit any PHI electronically except when doing so in the usual performance of caring for patients or clients and full knowledge of the clinical preceptor or instructor. This bill established new requirements for business associates (SCC) and covered entities (Facility) with respect to handling protected health information. SCC must report any breach of confidentiality to the facility and the facility and SCC may be subject to fines.

CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS

Criminal Background Checks will be completed on all students entering the Polysomnography Technology program. The background checks will be done by an independent firm contracted by Southeast Community College. The background check will include a search of records and registries for any and all offense brought against an individual. Offenses that will result in a student being disqualified from the program are: crimes of violence (kidnapping, assault, murder, arson, etc), unlawful sexual behavior, child abuse, sexual assault of an adult, registered sex offenders, and any offense in another state that are similar or relate to any of these offenses. Felony and misdemeanor charges will be reviewed as well. A felony and/or misdemeanor charge may prevent the student from completing the clinical portion of the program or receive a license to practice Respiratory Care. The SCC Dean of Health Sciences will receive any questionable offense and will review this with the student. SCC faculty and/or clinical site of the program will not receive the clinical background report of students. Direct any questions you might have concerning background checks to the Program Director and/or the Dean of Health Sciences.

CPR CARD & CURRENT HEALTH STATEMENT

It is the student’s responsibility to maintain an up-to-date CPR certificate for health providers and current health statement with all current immunizations. A CPR card must be current in order to participate in the clinical setting. If the CPR card are not maintained, the student will be removed from the clinical setting. The day missed due to non-compliance of the policy can not be made-up. This action will affect the over-all clinical grade.

DRUG TESTING

Drug testing is required to be completed prior to entering clinical rotations. The results of the drug screen must be sent from the facility performing the testing directly to the Dean of Health Sciences.

DUE PROCESS POLICY

Students who experience or observe a harassing incident(s) directly involving the clinical site staff will proceed as follows:

1. The student(s) should first try to resolve the problem or issue personally with the individual through open communication. If the student(s) is/are not comfortable with communicating with the individual, they must contact the Clinical Instructor. If the incident is thought to be sexual harassment, the student(s) will follow the SCC sexual harassment policy and such report will be made to both the appropriate SCC and clinical site authorities.

2. If communication with the individual is unsuccessful, if there is fear or the appearance or reprisals, or if the problem affects more than one student, the student(s) must contact Program Director.

3. Documentation of the incident must occur prior to the next step in investigating the incident. The student(s), along with the Program Director must document the incident(s), including dates and times they occur and reactions or feelings of the behavior. Documentation must include the student(s) signature(s).

4. The Program Director will notify the clinical site director of the incident. A meeting will be scheduled that will include, at a minimum, the Program Director and the clinical site director. A plan of action will be developed as to the next steps on handling the situation. This may include meetings with the student(s) and employee(s).

5. Both the clinical site Director and Program Directorwill monitor the behavior/incident(s). If the behavior/incident(s) continue or if the clinical site Director does not follow through with the plan of action, the Program Director will discuss the issue with the clinical site director.

6. If the issue is not resolved to the satisfaction of all involved, the Program Director will contact the clinical site Director’s immediate supervisor. The clinical site’s grievance policy provide the next steps.

Students, either in clinical or classroom component, who encounter situations, problems with interpersonal relationships between instructor(s), classmate(s), or other circumstances the student(s) has/have issues with will proceed with the following steps:

1. The student(s) should first make every effort to deal with the situation or circumstances in a mature, professional manner. If the student(s) is/are not comfortable with communicating with the individual or dealing personally with the situation, or if the situation involves the instructor, they must contact the Program Chair to discuss the situation

2. Together, the instructor and student(s) discuss the situation. If the situation requires further action as determined by the student and instructor, the Due Process form will be completed. This form outlines the situations/concerns, the resulting goals to resolve the issue, and the timeline for resolution.

3. At the time identified in Step #2, the student and instructor meet to finalize the Due Process form and determine if the situation/concerns have been resolved. If either the student or the instructor feels resolution of the situation/concern has not been resolved; a meeting will be scheduled with the Program Chair.

4. If the student(s) is/are not satisfied with the outcome of the meeting with the Program Director, the Grievance Procedure outlined in the College Catalog provides the next steps for the student(s).

Educational Meetings

Students are encouraged to attend community, state and national educational meetings for sleep professionals. National education provided by the AASM can be found at www.sleepmeeting.org. You can also check with your state sleep societies for meetings near your area.

Attendance to any Sleep educational meeting will be counted toward clinical hours.