Health Buzz: Sleep Breaks for Medical Residents and Other Health News

We can all complain, but at the same time, Medicare is cutting dollars for training programs. There are not enough residents to take care of all the services and obliging to all the rules- 10 hours off in between work days, 80 hour work week (on avg over a month), and now naps? I agree that we work too much and it's unsafe, but imposing new rules without funding and help to residencies will just force us residents to lie about our hours to not lose our accreditations.

When I was a resident... It's sad that it's taken so long for these changes to be made. Next you may want to consider that often only one or two doctors are managing a hospital service at night. At my hospital that means we cover new ED admissions, calls regarding all inpatients, calls from outside services (nursing facilities, lab, etc.), and the ICU. It's stressful, unsafe and rather common. However, until the public complains or someone dies because of understaffing, nothing will change. Very troubling

I think "continuity of care" is so important that a 300 hour work week is the way to go. I'd rather have the same stumbling zombie care for me for a really long time than a well-rested and alert new person. Especially when they're making life and death decisions for me.

you wouldn't work right after a few beers

Studies have found that driving while sleep deprived is equivalent to driving drunk, as far as reflexes and are concerned.

A recent study looked at sleep deprived people in a fMRI. It found that the executive decision making part of the brain simply cuts in and out rather than running continuously (as it does in the same people having had sleep).

The reflexes of a drunk person and really unreliable executive decision making capabilities: I wouldn't want anyone I care about to be seen by a doctor in that condition.

Resident Hours

Anyone who attempts to justify the obscene hours that medical professional work is either unaware of or ignoring the science regarding sleep deprivation and performance. The prospect of a sleep deprived surgeon, nurse, or other practitioner with my life in his/her hands, is frightening and unacceptable. This is a clear case where the self-policing of professionals falls short of the mark. If the medical profession cannot take care of this issue, perhaps the legislative branch should. Or, would everyone prefer to leave it to the judicial branch and sue for malpractice when a sleep-deprived care-giver makes a mistake? Any competent lawyer should subpoena work records for any suit related to competence of care. Maybe prosecutors should do the same thing.

Sleep

As a surgeon in private practice for 30 years when do I get a nap?

All the resident work load rules totally ignore the concept of

continuity of care when learning the art of medicine. Besides the

dedicated house officers who want to manage their patients ignore the rules

anyway.

Resident hours

The above comment couldn't be closer to the truth, actual practtices have changed very little... Reporting hours is merely a bandage on a festering wound...

80hour workweek?

Great, another rule residency programs can pretend to follow. Here's some real news, very few residency programs are actually compliant with the 80 hour work week. The residents work more than 100 hours weekly and then simply lie about it when recording weekly hours. If you choose to record your "true" hours, you run the risk of being absolutely shunned by the program and at the least will receive a stern warning about "fixing" your hours.

This 5 hour nap will simply be more of the same. Now when recording hours, I'll just have something else I have to lie about.