Shorter Workdays for Training Doctors

It may seem like a lot to most of us, but 80 hours per week is the most hours hospital residents are being allowed to work. Doctors-in-training used to log over 100 hours per week, but new regulations to scale those hours back took effect last month. "Their classroom is the clinical setting, in-patient and out-patient clinics. Patient care isn`t 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.. It`s 24 hours a day," Dr. Jeanne Heard, associate dean, UAMS College of Medicine. UAMS has started a "nightfloating" system where residents clock out after twelve hours and pass their patients on to another set of residents who`ll work the twelve overnight hours. "You always feel overworked, you get faster at the skill and you can get more accomplished in the time allotted," said Dr. Rusty Roberts, a 5th year resident at UAMS. Heard says the reduction in hours will lead to better economizing on the time the residents are there. It should all make for better care for the patients and better learning for the residents. "You`re able to do that better when you`re not exhausted and tired and up two days straight," says Dr. Sara Owen, a 2nd year resident at UAMS. To make up for the hours lost, Children`s Hospital has added some nurse practitioners to the staff, another option for UAMS as well.