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Can doctors sleep at hospital?

Medicine is simply an always kind of job. Being in a healthcare profession is not an easy job as you will have to deal with every kind of patients with different cases and situations. When you are opting for a certain profession, you tend to go through the experiences of different people who have been in this field for a long time. Same goes for becoming a doctor. As we already know, becoming a doctor is not an easy job. From the start of education to the end of being a one in a hospital or clinic, this job requires your whole physical and mental being.

Being a physician comes with multiple challenges and one of them is time management. Being a student of MBBS also requires time management as well as being a doctor in any of the health facility. You will need to manage your time so you can attend as many patients as you can while also make some time for yourself. There will be various times when there will be a load of patients so the first thing a doctor should avoid is panicking. Instead of panicking, manage the schedule and line up the patients well so the doctor can give equal time to each of them. In short, each physician should have the skill of time and routine management. Doctor, physician or surgeon have to be “on-call” duties and on their steps every minute in case of emergencies and to deal with multiple patients. Its natural for them to forget about their own wellbeing and health. But always remember that a doctor being healthy means they will be able to treat their patient well too.

When you decided of becoming a physician or doctor you must have researched everything and the changes that this career brings in your life. So you should be ready to face difficult situations after you become a physician.

How many hours does the doctor work?

Rest is an essential thing in a doctor’s life as a well-rested doctor is able to serve the patients more efficiently. It not only helps the patient but the doctors and physicians as well. As any small mishap or unintentional mistake cam harm their career too. Not many people prefer the doctors to work for 24 hours as it sounds like an impossible case. When surveys were done, it was reported that doctors and physicians are getting as little sleep as around 5-6 hours. When usually, to perform their best, 8 hours sleep is necessary for any human body. But their loss of sleep is usually covered on their off days if they got any.

According to different surveys, on average, doctors work 51 hours per week after residency. The majority of the doctors work approximately 41 to 55 hours per week. There has been a decrease observed in the working hours of these physicians by the surveys taken. But that doesn’t mean it is the estimated working hours of every doctor or physician. There are doctors who work in a clinic 4 days a week from 9 am to 5 pm. And there are also doctors who work 7 days without any off, including night shifts. In other words, it would normally take 54 years to do the work that doctors do in 36. Doctors usually work 36 hours a week and rarely get a day off. This might sound hectic, but this is really what their job and patients’ well-being require.

Can doctors sleep at hospitals?

The answer is really quite simple. Physicians, such as ER doctors and House Physicians are on call 12 to 24 hours. This means that they are in the hospital ready to deal with any request that is demanded of them. There can be long hours during which nothing happens. During these, they can sleep in order to provide enough for them to function and treat the patients well. Studies have shown that night shift doctors are more alert after taking a nap about halfway through the shift.

Where can doctors sleep?

On-call rooms are typically restrooms in hospitals or healthcare facilities with some furniture like a bed or couch so the doctors who are on the duty for most of the time so can take rest in these on-call rooms. On-call rooms are nothing like they are shown in those medical TV series where doctors, after a long surgery lay down and gossip about different stuff. They are simple rooms, consisting of basic furniture to provide rest and a bit of comfort for a little time. They are not luxurious rooms even if you are working in a top-notch hospital. On-call rooms may have a bed or sofa, sometimes a computer too for some work.

You may have seen doctors and physicians arriving at the emergency scene quickly at any hour of the day. They might be a part of the on-call physician/ doctor team they are assigned to respond and serve at any time of the day. Though working on-call like this is definitely not an easy job and it requires lots of focus, strength, and a healthy mind as well knowledge.

Conclusion

Doctors who sleep in on-call rooms are usually resident physicians who work long hours as part of their training. They could also be an obstetrician who is waiting to deliver a baby at the proper time. In neither case is the physician paid by the hour. If there is a break in the action they can sleep or they should sleep. They will be “called” when they are needed. They must be available at all times or signed out to another physician. They are on call for 24 hours or more. Sleep is very necessary in order for the doctors to work well and their minds to be fully active. A healthy doctor can treat a patient well and it actually helps the patient too by seeing an active and fresh doctor at their service.

About Rachel

Hi my name is Rachel; a registered nurse. I graduated from one of the best nursing programmes and have been working in the medical field for 10 years. As a licensed practical nurse, I understand the plight that comes with the job. While I enjoy taking care of patients, I understand the long working hours that nurses have to deal with. We spend majority of the shifts walking around the medical centre making sure all patients are taken care of and this requires a lot of work and energy on the feet. https://bestnursingshoes.net has been created to help nurses from different parts of the world find the perfect shoes to reduce the strain on your feet and posture and make the job much easier.

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