Nighty Floaties

[NDESTRUKT]

---

Members don't see this ad.

When looking at programs, how much does night float have an influence on work hours? If I find a program with night float, will that usually mean better lifestyle?

Yes this is important to me as well as many of you!

 

[mirakate]

I have no answer for you, I just wanted to tell you that I love the title of this post.
👍

 

[SocialistMD]

You obviously take less call on rotations that have night float than you would without night float. Whether or not that translates into a better lifestyle or not depends on how you define a better lifestyle. If you like working 6-7ish 6 days a week with a 24-30 hour shift thrown in once every week or two, then it is better. If you can function post-call, then having every 3rd-4th afternoon off may be more appealing.

Bottom line, every program is supposed to have your work only 80 hours a week; how they divide it up to reach that goal and how that fits with what you define as a nicer lifestyle is based largely on how you function.

 

[surgiwho]

A 360° evaluation of a night-float system for general surgery: A response to mandated work-hours reduction: Current Surgery Volume 61, Issue 5, September-October 2004, Pages 445-451

A real-time computer model to assess resident work-hours scenarios. Acad Med. 2002 Jul;77(7):752
DISCUSSION: Our electronic model is sufficiently robust to accurately estimate work hours on multiple and varied rotations. This model clearly demonstrates that it is very difficult to meet the RRC-IM work-hours limitations under standard fourth-night-call schedules with only four days off per month. We are successfully using our model to test proposed alternative scenarios, to overcome faculty misconceptions about resident work-hours "solutions," and to make changes to our call schedules that both are realistic for residents to accomplish and truly diminish total resident work hours toward the requirements of the RRC-IM.

Maybe this will answer your question.

 

[boston]

When looking at programs, how much does night float have an influence on work hours? If I find a program with night float, will that usually mean better lifestyle?

Yes this is important to me as well as many of you!

I entered as an intern in the pre-80 world. Since then, my program transitioned from q4 call to night float. I feel ambivalent about which I prefer. But there is something to be said for having the knowledge that you will be sleeping in your own bed at night when you get up in the morning. With night float, I do feel slightly better rested, but not by much. No matter how you schedule things, the amount of work is the same and the pool of workers is the same so how you divide it up won't change things dramatically -- unless you hire PAs or NPs, which we have. Also, don't have the expectation that once you put in your 80 hours, you can relax. 80 hours is just the in-hospital patient care time. You will be spending time at home preparing presentations, M&Ms, trying to keep up with reading, etc. So ultimately, I think whether it's q4 or nightfloat it's a wash. q4 does have the advantage of being able to do errands on the weekdays (if you get out early post-call).