Medical shifts are a practice of the profession that requires an extraordinary effort since their shifts are added to the usual working day, as a result of the fatigue derived from the long hours, a situation that worries the medical community
Medical staff of an ICU at the Puerta de Hierro Hospital, in a file photograph. EFE/JuanJo Martin
Nearly 1,000 doctors from 40 specialties have participated in the study ‘Physical and emotional well-being of the doctor: the impact of medical shifts’ made by Medical Mutual.
A report that reflects how shifts affect the health of healthcare professionals and what aspects are of concern to doctors.
“It is necessary to vindicate the physical and emotional well-being of the doctor to guarantee the correct exercise of his profession and that, in this way, he can fulfill his work of caring for his patients in the best way”
explains Antonio López, CEO of Medical Mutual.
The effects of the pandemic
The physical and mental exhaustion produced by shifts and long working hours, especially during the pandemic, they are for 48% of the doctors consulted the most intense.
For 33.4 percent, nothing has changed since before the pandemic, while for 15.75% there are changes.
The report reflects that 61 percent of the doctors make one shift a week, 21% two and 13% more than two.
In the same way, 6 out of 10 doctors perform 24-hour shifts38.7% of 17 hours, and 2 percent exceeds 36 hours of continuous work.
The times between guards may not be the necessary ones, point out the health workers surveyed that 79 percent affirm that they are free but not long enough.
Doctors demand better conditions
The report reveals that 9 out of 10 on-call doctors feel underpaid, and that their work is not well paid.
For this reason, what is most demanded by health professionals is to quote the guards as in other groups (40%), followed by the claim to work shifts of fewer hours (24%) and improve their economic remuneration (23%).
That 40% that claims a salary increase asks to increase the pay between 25 and 50% more per guard.
34% consider that they should charge more than 50 percent. 6.7 percent demand a limit to weekly shifts.
80 percent of those surveyed say that in case of sick leave and not being able to perform shifts, they see their salary decrease by 20% or more.
Report “Physical and emotional well-being of the doctor: the impact of medical shifts”.
As a solution to their request, 88 percent of those surveyed agree with creating a system that limits the number of hours on duty.
What is the biggest concern of doctors?
Fatigue has professional and personal consequences for doctors. His work is influenced by his exhaustion, which is why 52% are afraid of making mistakes due to fatigue.
As the data reflects, emotional toughness (23%) and not having the ability to care for patients quickly (7%) are concerns associated with the long working hours of professionals.
16.18% say they are not professionally supported to attend any type of emergency and 7.82% maintain that they cannot quickly attend to the patient due to lack of personnel.Report “Physical and emotional well-being of the doctor: the impact of medical shifts”.
