Hospitalist night shift question..

[FiremedicMike]

When you are doing your 7 nights in a row, are you on the floor the entire time, or are you allowed to hang out/go sleep when there isn't something that needs physician attention?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[gutonc]

When you are doing your 7 nights in a row, are you on the floor the entire time, or are you allowed to hang out/go sleep when there isn't something that needs physician attention?

At that point you're a grown up, you're allowed to do whatever you want as long as you get the work done and the patients taken care of. There's nothing to keep someone from doing the same thing during the day either.

 

[FiremedicMike]

At that point you're a grown up, you're allowed to do whatever you want as long as you get the work done and the patients taken care of. There's nothing to keep someone from doing the same thing during the day either.

At 31, I consider myself at least moderately grown up. My question was really more asking as to what the expected behavior was and what is the general norm. Sorry to have offended anyone...

 

[gutonc]

At 31, I consider myself at least moderately grown up. My question was really more asking as to what the expected behavior was and what is the general norm. Sorry to have offended anyone...

You didn't offend. I was just pointing out that, in that situation, you can do what is warranted. If you're just sitting around surfing FB with nothing else to do, no reason you can't go lay down instead.

 

[NorCaltoSoCal]

I agree with gutonc. Once you are the attending it is all up to you. When I am on days, I leave when the work is done, which is can be as early as 4:00pm in the afternoon but sometimes as late as 8:00 or 9:00pm. I am available by pager if nursing needs anything or a family wants to talk. My nights are not even in-house so I am usually asleep/trying to sleep in my own bed (I live within 10 minutes from the hospital), with my pager on, answering calls. I can call in orders for hold-over patients and only have to come in to the hospital if someone needs to be seen urgently.

 

[FiremedicMike]

Thanks for the answers, sounds much better than what I had envisioned when I thought about this whole 7 on 7 off deal..

 

[gutonc]

Thanks for the answers, sounds much better than what I had envisioned when I thought about this whole 7 on 7 off deal..

Also, as NorCal points out, a lot of smaller places don't even have a hospitalist in-house overnight. The ED doc calls the hospitalist who's on call to accept the admit, writes holding orders and they get seen in the morning. I'm not personally a huge fan of this system because it only works well for relatively uncomplicated, stable patients. That said, I've admitted my fair share of complicated unstable patients transferred from such hospitals so in that case, the ED may just request a transfer since they know it will be 4-8 hours before a physician lays eyes/hands on them again.

 

[RySerr21]

as a hospitalist are night shifts unavoidable? I think I would enjoy being a hospitalist, but i hate nights with a passion.

edit: just kiddding, read the last few posts. I can handle being on call once in a while. But if my shift is scheduled over night....shoot me.

 

[ussdfiant]

as a hospitalist are night shifts unavoidable? I think I would enjoy being a hospitalist, but i hate nights with a passion.

edit: just kiddding, read the last few posts. I can handle being on call once in a while. But if my shift is scheduled over night....shoot me.

I have not worked a night in the 2 years I have been a hospitalist (non teaching).

 

[WorkaholicsAnon]

as a hospitalist are night shifts unavoidable? I think I would enjoy being a hospitalist, but i hate nights with a passion.

edit: just kiddding, read the last few posts. I can handle being on call once in a while. But if my shift is scheduled over night....shoot me.

I work at a hospital where the moonlighters cover night shifts. Of course if noone is available to moonlight on a particular night (which happens once in a while), one of the hospitalists has to do it. But i think it's on a first-come first served basis. Some people actually want the extra cash, so if you choose not to work nights, you dont HAVE to. Oh yeah, and this is a non-teaching service as well.

 

[FiremedicMike]

If I may.. Would anyone care to describe a typical day, week, and month?

 

[gutonc]

If I may.. Would anyone care to describe a typical day, week, and month?

Typical day: Admit some patients (ranging from a 58yo with ESLD, AMS, sepsis, an EF of 25% and an unusually widened mediastinum on CXR but who has a Cr of 3 so can't get a contrast CT, to a 75yo marathon runner admitted with a compound tib/fib fracture requiring ORIF after bailing off a 30ft rock wall and missing the crash pad who has a "complex PMH" according to Ortho - which means he's on 12.5 of metop xl and takes a baby ASA daily), round on some patients, discharge some patients, transfer some patients to the ICU (if you're lucky enough to work somewhere with FT intensivists) and pronounce some patients dead.

Typical week: The above x3-7.

Typical month: The above x 14-20.

 

[ussdfiant]

Typical day: Admit some patients (ranging from a 58yo withESLD, AMS, sepsis, an EF of 25% and an unusually widened mediastinum on CXR but who has a Cr of 3 so can't get a contrast CT, to a 75yo marathon runner admitted with a compound tib/fib fracture requiring ORIF after bailing off a 30ft rock wall and missing the crash pad who has a "complex PMH" according to Ortho - which means he's on 12.5 of metop xl and takes a baby ASA daily), round on some patients, discharge some patients, transfer some patients to the ICU (if you're lucky enough to work somewhere with FT intensivists) and pronounce some patients dead.

Typical week: The above x3-7.

Typical month: The above x 14-20.

This, plus consults.

 

[FiremedicMike]

Typical day: Admit some patients (ranging from a 58yo withESLD, AMS, sepsis, an EF of 25% and an unusually widened mediastinum on CXR but who has a Cr of 3 so can't get a contrast CT, to a 75yo marathon runner admitted with a compound tib/fib fracture requiring ORIF after bailing off a 30ft rock wall and missing the crash pad who has a "complex PMH" according to Ortho - which means he's on 12.5 of metop xl and takes a baby ASA daily), round on some patients, discharge some patients, transfer some patients to the ICU (if you're lucky enough to work somewhere with FT intensivists) and pronounce some patients dead.

Typical week: The above x3-7.

Typical month: The above x 14-20.

Lol I guess that works 🙂

 

[gutonc]

This, plus consults.

I completely forgot about consults. Part of that is because our hospital just has the hospitalist service admit all non-ICU and non-elective ortho and neurosurg patients. Cuts down on the consults and increases the RVUs for IM.

 

[RySerr21]

I have not worked a night in the 2 years I have been a hospitalist (non teaching).

I work at a hospital where the moonlighters cover night shifts. Of course if noone is available to moonlight on a particular night (which happens once in a while), one of the hospitalists has to do it. But i think it's on a first-come first served basis. Some people actually want the extra cash, so if you choose not to work nights, you dont HAVE to. Oh yeah, and this is a non-teaching service as well.

do teaching services work typically work nights? I want to be in a position where I am working with/teaching residents and students.

 

[gutonc]

do teaching services work typically work nights? I want to be in a position where I am working with/teaching residents and students.

No. Some of those attendings (the young, poor ones anyway) may moonlight on the non-teaching service when not on service. But the teaching attendings are supposed to be teaching during the day while their residents do the work at night.