More rest = better care
Medication errors and ICU use in cases handled by residents and interns at Yale-New Haven Hospital went down after work rule changes went into effect in 2003, says a study in the July 17 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. (The changes limit residents’ and interns’ hours to 80 a week and no more than 24 consecutively.) Admission rates to the ICU dropped by 2 percent and pharmacist interventions to prevent drug errors were reduced by 1.92 interventions per 100 patient-days. What’s more, discharges to home or rehab centers (as opposed to inpatient deaths or transfers) increased by 5 percent. The study compared outcomes for patients treated by the teaching staff and those treated by hospitalists.
[Via Medical Economics Update]
From Medical Economics magazine, more on hospitals ...
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I work in an ICU as a NP.(nurse practitioner) My position was created because there was a limit of residents and Medical students to help out. I have been trained to put in central lines/ intubate/ handle cardiac arrest/respiratory arrests without a physician. One of my main functions is to work in the ICU when the doctors are in surgery. I am able to handle many emergencies until they get into the ICU. I have noticed that other hospitals in my city are using NP or PA (midlevel providers) to fill the need of doctors.