Call For Clinical Affiliate Sites

There is a severe shortage of Polysomnography (PSG) and Electroneurodiagnostic (END) technologists throughout the United States. This critical shortage can be addressed in two ways:

• increase student enrollment in sleep and electroneurodiagnostic technology educational programs

• increase the number of polysomnography and electroneurodiagnostic technology educational programs

Both of these require an increase in the number of clinical affiliate sites. Polysomnography and END educational programs need the guidance, expertise, and involvement of the healthcare community in addressing the tremendous need for clinical affiliate sites.

As the educational level of Polysomnography and END rises in response to an evolving profession and the technology that supports it, formal educational programs with clinical education components are a critical element in the education of our future technologists. However, many programs have a very difficult time obtaining adequate clinical sites for their students to acquire clinical skills.

When asked to mentor students, many potential affiliate sites had misconceptions about their role. We offer some of the common "myths" as well as the truth about the benefits of mentoring students.

Benefits of Becoming a Clinical Affiliate Site

Students are potential new employees. Working with students enables you to create an applicant pool for existing and future job openings. Graduates of Electroneurodiagnostic/Polysomnography programs are more likely to seek employment at the affiliate site that provided them with their clinical experience. The benefits of this type of staff employment are substantial, some of which are:

• reduced costs associated with staff recruitment

• reduced costs associated with prospective employee interviews

• reduced costs associated with new employee orientation because of the students' familiarity with the facility's/department's policy and procedures

• increased staff retention: during the students' clinical site rotation you and the students have ample time to determine if future employment would be mutually beneficial

• increased patient satisfaction-students can assist technologists by preparing the next scheduled patient for examination thus reducing patient waiting time.

• CME credit is available to technologists, who give specific lectures to students, while participating as a clinical affiliate site.

How to Become a Clinical Affiliate Site

Typically, the educational institution will provide the clinical facility with an affiliation agreement. The agreement includes the guidelines and respective responsibilities that form the structure of the relationship. This relationship has proven over time to be of benefit to the student, the affiliate clinical site, its staff, and ultimately, the consumer of the profession's services.

If your facility/institution is interested in becoming a clinical affiliate site, you are encouraged to contact the school director or the individual program director(s) of the PSG and END technology educational programs.