Night Float

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BigDrizzle

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Hey all,

Just wanted to ask if there are any psych residents here who are training at programs with a night float call system. I'm trying to gather information about what type of schedule is involved in this kind of system and present it to our administration for implementation.

Can anyone offer a general breakdown of their call schedule if you currently use a night float system?
 
Hey all,

Just wanted to ask if there are any psych residents here who are training at programs with a night float call system. I'm trying to gather information about what type of schedule is involved in this kind of system and present it to our administration for implementation.

Can anyone offer a general breakdown of their call schedule if you currently use a night float system?

In general, the night float system is designed to decrease the frequency of overnight call and allow residents to switch their sleeping schedules while on the night float. For example, suppose you are at a program where call is q5. Over the course of 6 months, that amounts to 36 overnight calls. If you take out 10-12 of those calls and put them on a 2-week night float block, then you will have about 24-26 overnight calls left, which would amount to q7 call. Pick your poison: q5 call vs. q7 call with a 2-week night float?

Night float schedules vary by program and by hospital site within a program, but a typical night float schedule might look like this: Sun 5:30p-8:30a, Mon-Thur 6:30p-8:30a, off Fri 8:30a-Sun 5:30p. With regards to residency work hour restrictions, you need to have 10 hours between shifts, so Mon-Thur 5:30p-8:30a wouldn't work. (You can only do it on Sunday if you make sure the resident isn't also somehow scheduled for a Saturday overnight.) The two night float weeks can be back to back or they can be split up over the course of a 6 month block.

-AT.
 
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