Resident physicians are subjected to working intensely long hours as they train to become doctors. In the United States, they are permitted to work 80 hours a week, with 30 hours as the maximum consecutive hours allowed in a single shift. A mere eight hours is the minimum rest hours required between shifts.
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) regulates the hours resident physicians are permitted to work. However, a 2006 study showed that 83 percent of residents surveyed reported work-hour violations.
It is not surprising, then, to learn that a non-profit group called Public Citizen petitioned the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in September of 2010, requesting they regulate resident physician work hours.
Fatigued residents can not only pose a threat to patients but to themselves and others outside of the hospital. Recently, a first-year resident at Rush Presbyterian Medical Center in Chicago rear-ended a car driven by a young girl, causing her severe head injuries. The resident had just ended an overnight shift. The girl’s family attempted to sue the hospital for allowing such dangerously long shifts but lost.
The Harvard Work Hours, Health, and Safety Group found that residents who work excessive hours are at a higher risk of motor vehicle accidents, particularly for residents following a 24 hours shift or more. Another study found that residents who worked overnight shifts of 24 hours or more showed cognitive dysfunctions similar to a person with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .04 or .05. Similar studies note that excessive work hours can have mental health effects, including depression and irritability.
Studies have also found that residents working overnight shifts of 24 hours or more are more likely to suffer needlestick injuries at a higher rate that residents working fewer hours. This is significantly dangerous as HIV or hepatitis can easily be transferred by blood via needles. One study found that 20 to 38 percent of surgical procedures had a potential risk of exposure to HIV or hepatitis.
Despite the fact a panel of governmental scientists concluded it was unsafe for resident physicians to work more than 16 continuous hours, residents are still subjected to unsafe working conditions.
If you’ve been injured on-the-job or as a result of unsafe working conditions, the Florida workers’ compensation attorneys at Farah & Farah will work to ensure you receive just compensation for your workplace injuries.
