Pediatric Residents Working Fewer Hours

It appears that pediatric residents are the same as the rest of us. Working fewer hours reduces fatigue and patient care errors.

Pediatric Residency Duty Hours Before and After Limitations

“Since the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education duty hour limits went into effect, pediatric residents report working fewer hours and making fewer patient care errors because of fatigue. Although room for additional improvement remains, the experiences of residents and program directors suggest that implementation of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education limits in pediatric residency programs is improving resident well-being.”

Source: Pediatrics

I wonder if the new trend in hospital nursing, the 12-hour shift, is increasing fatigue and patient care errors. Of course, the 12-hour shift eliminates one shift change per day. It is the shift-change that often creates the opportunities for errors.