First-Year Medical Residents Will Now Be Able To Work 28-Hours Straight

[TexasTowelie]

First-year hospital residents who have just graduated medical school will now be able to work 28-hours during a shift. The possible length of a shift was previously capped at 16-hours.

The new time limit, which will go into effect on July 1st, was set by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education last Friday. The organization says the increase in shift length will reduce the number of problematic patient handoffs. This is when one doctor hands off a patient in the midst care to another doctor when their shift is over. Accreditation officials say this practice can be confusing and disruptive for both patients and doctors.

Art Caplan, a medical ethicist and director of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU Langone Medical Center, was troubled by the increase in the shift cap and the issues that could be caused by sleep deprivation.

“Lack of sleep produces errors,” Caplan told Boston Public Radio Tuesday. “The science says that this isn’t a good idea. The evidence says that people do slip in performance."

Read more: http://news.wgbh.org/2017/03/14/first-year-medical-residents-will-now-be-able-work-28-hours-straight

[Laffy Kat]

1. Do NOT go to a teaching hospital in July.

Usually teaching hospitals are the best, but NOT in when the residencies start. It's chaos and people die. I worked (clerically) in a teaching hospital for ten years. Trust me.

[TexasTowelie]

4. Thanks for posting your professional perspective on the issue.

I think that some of those older surgeons are pushing the "what if you were in a war" philosophy of ridiculous hours and unbelievable stress on residents. There is absolutely no need to maintain that system when doctors can expect to have a 35-40 year career after their residencies are completed. It would be better to add an additional year of residency if there is concern about getting adequate training rather than subject the residents to the 28 hour shifts.

[dalton99a]

3. Senior residents are doing 28 hours. Interns might as well pitch in and earn their stripes.

Continuity of care is important. With the new safeguards, going back to the old system is actually a good idea.

[Norbert9]

5. lol see above

"Never gonna fly here cause too many old docs want everyone to suffer just like they did"

Where do you draw the line for the law of diminishing returns Dr. Dalton?

[3catwoman3]

6. Lack of sleep produces errors.

No shit, Sherlock, as the saying goes.

At the risk of being obvious, I will point out that nurses typically work either 8 of 12 hour shifts, and "hand off" patients to the on-coming staff either 2 or 3 times a day. Popularly known as change of shift report. There is written and well and face to face verbal exchange of information.

With careful and thorough communication, there should not be any reason this could not also work for doctors.

AS a patient, I would much rather see a well rested resident I had not seen before, than an exhausted one who cannot think straight.