Member Since 2017
The Australia and New Zealand Sleep Science Association currently has 300 members, from Australia and New Zealand. ANZSSA comprises sleep technologists working in clinical and research settings. The Association is administered by a board, and there are several active committees working on such tasks as professional standards, conference, education, professional registration, continuing education credit granting, and education. There is a sub-branch in each state, with a local state representative in all of the major states. Regular meetings are held at the sub-branch level, and an annual national scientific meeting held, in conjunction with the Australasian Sleep Association. Members communicate via a closed Facebook page as well as regular emails sent out to all members.
Mission: To provide sleep technologists with the resources which ensure the safe, accurate diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders.
Vision: ANZSSA will become the primary professional resource for all sleep technologists
Values:Improve the quality of care provided by ANZSSA members.
Conduct duties in an ethical and accountable manner.
Increase the standing of Sleep Technology as a health profession.
Activities and Accomplishments
- Held an annual scientific meeting in conjunction with the Australasian Sleep Association, for the past 28 years. ANZSSA makes up around 25% of delegates
- ANZSSA administers a number of scholarships to members to attend conferences and training opportunities. In the last 12 months, members applying for these scholarships presented abstracts at their local branch meetings, as well as at the national conference. In other previous years, members have been sponsored to attend education courses on scoring and advanced sleep technology. Additionally, ANZSSA assists in administering scholarships provided by external sources, such as the Helen Bearpark scholarship (to assist new researchers to travel overseas to learn techniques) and the Fisher & Paykel scholarship (to assist New Zealand members to travel to Australia to attend meetings)
- ANZSSA has developed our own continuing education credit approval system for Australia/New Zealand based education programmes, in order for members to maintain their RPSGT credential without having to travel to the US.
- ANZSSA members have been involved in the process of setting up accreditation standards for Australian sleep laboratories.