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Can I get your opinion on a debate we are having at work?
Last night we had a pt call in who is scheduled for a study tonight. He wanted to know if he could sleep in as one it was the weekend, 2 he is extremely tired do to his bad sleep and 3 He did not think that the normal 6 hours of mandatory sleep time would be enough for him to be awake enough to drive home.
!st tech- No we are required to leave by 7. the latest we can let you sleep is 6.
2nd tech- AS we have already worked 12 hours it is very hard for us to do this.
3rd-tech-Yes, these pts are coming in already sleep deprived. we are honor bound to help them get a good nights sleep.
4th tech-No do to the extra work that this adds to the end of our already long night we are not allowd to do this.
5th tech- I don't care!
What is your opinion on this? Should patients be allowed to sleep in? What about the weekends when the majority of labs don't have a day tech. Keep in mind that all of these are valid arguements from a tech's point of view.
!st tech- No we are required to leave by 7. the latest we can let you sleep is 6.
2nd tech- AS we have already worked 12 hours it is very hard for us to do this.
3rd-tech-Yes, these pts are coming in already sleep deprived. we are honor bound to help them get a good nights sleep.
4th tech-No do to the extra work that this adds to the end of our already long night we are not allowd to do this.
5th tech- I don't care!
What is your opinion on this? Should patients be allowed to sleep in? What about the weekends when the majority of labs don't have a day tech. Keep in mind that all of these are valid arguements from a tech's point of view.
Views: 71
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by sleepycarol on
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I am not a sleep tech nor other sleep professional so my opinion is based on the view point of a patient.
I was afraid of having to be up so early in the morning as I typically do not get up till 6:30 even during the week. But I would never have asked to "sleep in" as that is rude, in my opinion. It wouldn't hurt my feelings to be told that due to factors beyond your control sleeping in was not an option. In fact, at the satellite clinic where I had my titration done I had a little over a 30 mile drive. Getting to the clinic wasn't a problem. I did worry about driving home afterwards. I woke a little before 5 a.m. for a potty break. The tech asked, nicely, if I would mind staying up since she was the only one on duty. She explained that she reports to the lab in the early evening hours to set things up and after the patients go home she has to do the laundry and cleaning up from that night's studies. I agreed and found that I was very capable of driving home without any problems. I had taken the day off from work and simply went back to bed upon arriving at home. I slept for a couple of more hours before getting up for the day.
Be firm and polite and suggest they do the same -- go back to bed upon arriving home.
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Permalink Reply by Butch Hernandez on
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I think this is somewhat of a sliding scale btx diff labs depending on lab policy. I'm in a freestanding lab and we are allowed to conduct the study length at our discretion. I keep in mind that I'm here to help them and do everything I can to accomodate my pts within reason. I've run several 1500+ epoch studies to get the job done. If the pt is being cooperative I do whatever I can to let them get rest without compromising study integrity. BUT there are different practices out there and some techs are bound by their employer defined parameters. So I can understand trying to do all you can in a given time frame. I'm lucky in the sense that I'm not in that situation and am able to make exceptions for those rare pts..even if it does cost me personal time and sometimes pay, but I can sleep knowing I gave it 100%.
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Permalink Reply by Judy on
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Good on you too, Butch Hernandez. Youse a peach too. You sure you don't wanna move to Michigan?? I can't seem to entice Rock Hinkle to do so. I doubt I can con Rock Connor into leaving sunny CA for MI since we have the possiblity of snow again this week. Not the kind that will stick for any length of time this late in the year but still ....
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I'd freeze my buns off up there! I'm too accustomed to Texas weather! I'd look like the little brother on "A Christmas Story"...all bundled up...haha
Judy said:Good on you too, Butch Hernandez. Youse a peach too. You sure you don't wanna move to Michigan?? I can't seem to entice Rock Hinkle to do so. I doubt I can con Rock Connor into leaving sunny CA for MI since we have the possiblity of snow again this week. Not the kind that will stick for any length of time this late in the year but still ....
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Permalink Reply by RockRpsgt on
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Indianapolis is not that far Judy.
Judy said:Good on you too, Butch Hernandez. Youse a peach too. You sure you don't wanna move to Michigan?? I can't seem to entice Rock Hinkle to do so. I doubt I can con Rock Connor into leaving sunny CA for MI since we have the possiblity of snow again this week. Not the kind that will stick for any length of time this late in the year but still ....
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No, its not, Rock HInkle. But you just got in w/that hospital and you wanted that position so bad I doubt you are gonna leave it to come up here either. Of course, now, IF you would like to come up here I'd sure be delighted to have you available around here!!! Say "hi" to "circle city" for me, I haven't been down there in awhile. There's a Collie club there that puts on some great specialties w/really good selections of judges. I can recommend a really great RRT, RPSGT sleep lab owner/manager you would appreciate.
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in indy or michigan
Judy said:No, its not, Rock HInkle. But you just got in w/that hospital and you wanted that position so bad I doubt you are gonna leave it to come up here either. Of course, now, IF you would like to come up here I'd sure be delighted to have you available around here!!! Say "hi" to "circle city" for me, I haven't been down there in awhile. There's a Collie club there that puts on some great specialties w/really good selections of judges. I can recommend a really great RRT, RPSGT sleep lab owner/manager you would appreciate.
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Permalink Reply by Melodie on
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Rock,
At my first sleep study, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to sleep and had a similar question as this patient does. I asked if I was sleeping well, if they would let me just wake up on my own, or did they have to wake me at a specific time. The sleep lab staff was very sensitive to my request, and advised that they would do their best to let me wake up on my own - but they did say that I would most likely be awake at the right time anyway. They were right, I woke up BEFORE it was time to get up and they ended up having to ask me to stay in the bed an extra 20+ minutes.
I would just try to handle the patient as I would want to be treated. That always works for me in any situation. Just think about yourself in the patient's position, and then respond as if it were yourself. You may want to discuss this with your co-workers from this point of view......just a thought.
Hope this is helpful.
Melodie
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AND, in live chatting w/a couple of PSGTs they say they are quite able to wake a patient w/o the patient being aware they were deliberately wakened simply by waiting for the right sleep stage and then manipulating the pressure.
There is a relatively inexpensive device, if I remember correctly it is called the "SleepTracker", that is able to track your sleep stages and know when is the best time in your sleep cyle to wake you and can be set to wake you during that best time w/in a sleep cycle. Quite a fascinating device. It helps you determine when is the best time to set its alarm for you to wake in the morning. This is a rough explanation from my memory.
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Our new weekend policy: 1st- try and request that the pt get dropped off and picked up. 2nd if this is no t an option we will let these pts sleep until we have all of our other work done aking them up last. which is usually between 6-7 am. 3rd Being the lead tech on the weekends I have let the other techs know that if a pat has special circumstances pass them off them off to me as I do not mind staying the extra time.
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