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Course
Objectives
At the end of this course the healthcare professional
will:
- Discuss the
basic biology and physiology of sleep.
- Identify
some practical steps that can be recommended to aid someone in
improving their quality of sleep.
- Become knowledgeable
with the sleep disorder "sleep apnea" signs, symptoms,
methods of diagnosis and treatments.
- Choose the
criteria that separate central from obstructive from mixed sleep
apnea.
- Become familiar
with the use of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, (CPAP) and
develop an understanding of the problems and concerns of patients
on CPAP.
- Identify
non-surgical methods of treating or preventing sleep apnea.
- Select surgical
procedures that can be done to correct sleep apnea.
Introduction
The subject
of sleep has always been a popular topic since the beginning of
man’s existence, and rightly so. Sleep is an important part
of our daily lives, occupying an average of one-third of our daily
existence. Considering we spend approximately 33% of our total existence
in this state, it is no wonder that sleep is a frequent topic of
discussion. In the July 2000 Issue of RN Magazine in an article
written by Sharon L. Merritt, RN, MSN EdD titled, "Putting
sleep disorders to rest" she stated that chronic sleep disorders
deprive nearly 40 million Americans of the rest they need to function
normally. Nurses can help patients get the treatment they need by
understanding some of the most common disorders by routinely performing
a sleep assessment on patients. She also quoted a recent Gallup
poll, where 70% of American adults who claim they have sleep problems
say they’ve never discussed those problems with a healthcare
provider.
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