"please keep me updated about oximeters "
Sleep Apnea Forum Bringing Power to the Patient
New? Free Sign Up
Then check our Welcome Center to a Community Caring about Sleep Apnea diagnosis and Sleep Apnea treatment:
CPAP machines, Sleep Apnea surgery and dental appliances.
CPAP Supplies
Latest Activity
RRT-to-RPSGT: will you hire me?
Okay, here's the deal: I have been an CRTT since 1983, RRT since 1990. Long experienced in adult acute care, a bit of NICU, lots of home care, a bit of teaching. I'm in one of the BRPT Pathway #3 CAAHEP-Accredited Polysomnographic Technology programs, so next month, after only two semesters of part-time classes & 15 nights in the lab, I'll be eligible for the RPSGT exam. I'm not making any predictions but I have a good record with such exams, so for the sake of discussion, if I pass will you hire me?
Are you old guard RPSGTs who paid your dues for so long before being eligible for the exam a little pissed off about we RTs getting such a short path to eligibility? Will you hire us even though we have very little experience? Will it matter whether or not we have passed the RPSGT exam? Will you want to pay us differently? Will we be suspect until we prove ourselves?
Come on, let's hear it. Will I be back in the ICU by Christmas because no one will hire the RT retreads?
Are you old guard RPSGTs who paid your dues for so long before being eligible for the exam a little pissed off about we RTs getting such a short path to eligibility? Will you hire us even though we have very little experience? Will it matter whether or not we have passed the RPSGT exam? Will you want to pay us differently? Will we be suspect until we prove ourselves?
Come on, let's hear it. Will I be back in the ICU by Christmas because no one will hire the RT retreads?
Views: 441
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by sleepycarol on
-
Hey, can't help with the hiring question -- but would be interested in what all of the acrynoms mean. Would you mind giving us the low down?
-
Permalink Reply by Rock Conner RRT on
-
CAAHEP: Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, soon to be replaced by...
CoARC: Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care
CRTT: Certified Respiratory Therapy Technician, recently subplanted by...
CRT: Certified Respiratory Therapist
RRT: Registered Respiratory Therapist
RPSGT: Registered Polysomnographic Technologist
NICU: Neonatal Intensice Care Unit
sleepycarol said:Hey, can't help with the hiring question -- but would be interested in what all of the acrynoms mean. Would you mind giving us the low down?
-
Permalink Reply by Judy on
-
I'd hired you, Rock Connor - but I wouldn't start you out on a level with an experienced RPSGT. On the other hand I also wouldn't start you out as an off the street OTJ Trainee either. Even w/your newly acquired RPSGT I'd put you thru some OTJT in my lab until I was satisfied that you really knew what you were doing. And then, assuming you turn out to be as good as I expect you to be, I'd give you a little extra. But - you would have to be every bit as good as my RPSGTs w/o the benefit of your other training and credentials. If you are as good as them you deserve some extra.
-
-
Shucks, Rock Connor, my reply doesn't sound right. From what I know of YOU reading your posts here my reply wasnt meant you personally, but rather the inpersonal "you", a person of your qualifications that I know nothing else about except the qualifications and past experience you posted.
-
Permalink Reply by RockRpsgt on
-
I would be honored to work with you Rock. Would not much matter to me. we employ all different credentials at our lab. Everyone goes through the same training. When everything in your file is checked you are given run of the lab. some take 2 weeks others 2 months. keeps the playing field level.
-
-
No offense taken at all, Judy!
Judy said:Shucks, Rock Connor, my reply doesn't sound right. From what I know of YOU reading your posts here my reply wasnt meant you personally, but rather the inpersonal "you", a person of your qualifications that I know nothing else about except the qualifications and past experience you posted.
-
-
And the Mollette plot thickens..............................................
No offense Rock, but she does have a great arguement. My biggest pet peave with RTs is that they think that sleep will be a coast job after respiratory. I will not argue that there is some down time in sleep. That down time is the reward you get for the good job that you do. Quite a bit of leg work and split second decisions go into acqiring a good study and therefore getting that down time. I have faith though. You will do well. the best assets a sleep tech can have are a sense of urgency and a hell of alot of patience.
Oh yeah, Sleep has been the hardest thing I have ever done. I am however having more fun at this point of my life then any other. Great wife, great kids(most of the time anyway), and I pay my bills by helping others. Great Life!!!!!
Mollete said:Rock Conner said:
Will we be suspect until we prove ourselves?
I don't believe credentials themselves offer anything other than filling in the blanks of the job application. A significant percent of hireability would be determined at initial interview. Actual job experience, as witnessed through co-workers (other than whom you would list as references) would be extremely helpful.
If it were me doing the hiring, I would look at two things: ability to learn and work ethics. You can teach the interpretation of squiggly lines to anybody if they have those qualities.
What would raise my suspicions is the huge lapse in time in completion of credentials (7 years for RRT, and still no RPSGT yet). With your age, I would have great concerns that you're just looking to coast.
mollete
-
-
GREAT point, & that's the kind of thing I want to flesh out in this discussion. For me personally, I only recently discovered my interest in sleep diagnostics. I hung out in respiratory so long because that's what I wanted to do, & didn't think of sleep as a career until I started doing CPAP (my first love) at a sleep lab. For the RRT-to-RPSGT demographic as a whole, I wonder if this will be an issue to contend with. It makes sense that a hiring decision maker would consider why folks so long in the tooth would want to crossover.
Mollete said:Rock Conner said:
Will we be suspect until we prove ourselves?
I don't believe credentials themselves offer anything other than filling in the blanks of the job application. A significant percent of hireability would be determined at initial interview. Actual job experience, as witnessed through co-workers (other than whom you would list as references) would be extremely helpful.
If it were me doing the hiring, I would look at two things: ability to learn and work ethics. You can teach the interpretation of squiggly lines to anybody if they have those qualities.
What would raise my suspicions is the huge lapse in time in completion of credentials (7 years for RRT, and still no RPSGT yet). With your age, I would have great concerns that you're just looking to coast.
mollete
-
-
I guess another point is that we could stay where we are & coast. Maybe we ought to get partial credit for the initiative to learn the material & pass the RPSGT. That having been said, there certainly will be those interested in the change because they think it will be easy. Surely the programs, the labs, & the BRPT will weed them out!
Rock Hinkle said:And the Mollette plot thickens..............................................
No offense Rock, but she does have a great arguement. My biggest pet peave with RTs is that they think that sleep will be a coast job after respiratory. I will not argue that there is some down time in sleep. That down time is the reward you get for the good job that you do. Quite a bit of leg work and split second decisions go into acqiring a good study and therefore getting that down time. I have faith though. You will do well. the best assets a sleep tech can have are a sense of urgency and a hell of alot of patience.
Oh yeah, Sleep has been the hardest thing I have ever done. I am however having more fun at this point of my life then any other. Great wife, great kids(most of the time anyway), and I pay my bills by helping others. Great Life!!!!!
Mollete said:Rock Conner said:
Will we be suspect until we prove ourselves?
I don't believe credentials themselves offer anything other than filling in the blanks of the job application. A significant percent of hireability would be determined at initial interview. Actual job experience, as witnessed through co-workers (other than whom you would list as references) would be extremely helpful.
If it were me doing the hiring, I would look at two things: ability to learn and work ethics. You can teach the interpretation of squiggly lines to anybody if they have those qualities.
What would raise my suspicions is the huge lapse in time in completion of credentials (7 years for RRT, and still no RPSGT yet). With your age, I would have great concerns that you're just looking to coast.
mollete
-
-
This is very helpful, folks. Keep going!
-
-
Rock I actually had 2 RTs tell me that they were in sleep because it was easier than respiratory. This was at my new hospital lab that I lobbied to get to. It just made me want to go in there rooms and pull wires off of their pts. See if they could figure out what was wrong! I did not have an opinion before that.
© 2025 Created by The SleepGuide Crew.
Powered by
