Sleep Disorders Specialty Exam Accredited

The National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) invested several years developing an examination for respiratory therapists specializing in sleep disorders and therapeutic intervention. Candidates must be credentialed respiratory therapists with clinical experience in the testing, monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with sleep disorders. Successful candidates receive either the CRT-SDS or RRT-SDS federally trademarked credential designation depending on whether they attempted the examination as a CRT or an RRT.

The specialty examination was developed in accordance with stringent psychometric and other standards put forth by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. This body also accredits the registered polysomnographic technologist (RPSGT) examination offered by the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT). Both the RPSGT and sleep disorders specialty (SDS) examinations were developed based on job content identified by national job analysis research.

Test specifications for the NBRC’s SDS examination can be reviewed and printed by accessing the NBRC Web site at nbrc.org and clicking on the “Examinations” tab. An online, fulllength, free practice examination is also available.

The new specialty examination was developed in response to requests from the NBRC’s sponsors. The Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the new examination was recently accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), continuing a long tradition of NCCA accreditation for all of the NBRC’s credentialing programs. The NBRC was one of the first four organizations to have its examinations accredited in 1977 when the NCCA was formed, and it is the only organization to continuously maintain accreditation of its credentialing programs for more than 30 years.

Gary A. Smith, CRT, FAARC
NetWork Steering Committee Member