Nocturnist Experiences

[emergentmd]

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I would gladly agree to work the same number of hours and night shifts as everyone else and give up the ability to make requests if it meant having schedules that protect sleep and prevent bad turn arounds.

How would this ever fly as an attending?

So everyone gets a good circadian schedule, albeit not great when you are doing nights. So I have 3 kids who has activities, long breaks during holidays, summer vacations.

So when my daughter/son has sports tournaments every other weekend, I get to tell my family; "Oh, every schedule has me working half of your games, but look how much better I am sleeping?"

Since being an attending, I could atleast ask for 7-10 dys off a month and be at their activities/trips.

 

[deleted77919]

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[turkeyjerky]

Yeah, I think there's a reason that 120-130 hrs/mo is typically considered full-time in EM. Like a lot of people, I used to do >160 when extra shifts were plentiful and well-remunerated, and, as I remember, life really kinda sucked when I wasn't on vacation.

Honestly, it really shouldn't be hard to have both requests and reasonable turn-arounds (at least as long as the requests aren't all the same and people are reasonable).

 

[sylvanthus]

We should just do what ICU gets away with at my hospitals. The CC doc goes home at 7PM and the night is covered by an NP with the CC doc asleep at home. Why not have our midlevels manage all the BS and call us if needed? If there's a real emergency, then they can just have the ER doc come and ........oh wait, nevermind.

Shhhhhh dont give them any ideas. Id be out a job.

 

[BoardingDoc]

I’m glad you’ve been able to go to all those things. I have two small kids, and there’s no way to go to all those things working 140-170s hours a month and feel human, at least with the schedules I’ve worked.

Maybe my job and schedule were just especially difficult.

I just think overall it is worth trading schedule flexibility for circadian protection, but clearly I’m in the minority. Maybe I’m just especially bad at tolerating terrible turn arounds.

I think the issue here is more related to the fact that you work 140-170 hr/mo.

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

I think the issue here is more related to the fact that you work 140-170 hr/mo.

I have an attending who’s still working 240 hours per month, in his 60s. That just boggles my mind.

He was making fun of me for being “unmotivated” because I said I hadn’t seen my wife or dog in 10 days and wanted a day off.

 

[Dr Mantis Toboggan]

I have an attending who’s still working 240 hours per month, in his 60s. That just boggles my mind.

He was making fun of me for being “unmotivated” because I said I hadn’t seen my wife or dog in 10 days and wanted a day off.

The problem with q2 call is you miss half the good cases.

 

[Birdstrike]

I have an attending who’s still working 240 hours per month, in his 60s. That just boggles my mind.

He was making fun of me for being “unmotivated” because I said I hadn’t seen my wife or dog in 10 days and wanted a day off.

Bizarre

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

The problem with q2 call is you miss half the good cases.

Bizarre

It’s one thing in surgery or a practice with some amount of regular Circadian rhythm. But that’s 20 twelve hour EM shifts, with half of them being nights. F that noise at 30 much less 60.

 

[Birdstrike]

It’s one thing in surgery or a practice with some amount of regular Circadian rhythm. But that’s 20 twelve hour EM shifts, with half of them being nights. F that noise at 30 much less 60.

I don't know how anyone can do that physically, let alone mentally, for more than a month or two. How people like that don't burn out, I'll never know.

 

[bravotwozero]

I don't know how anyone can do that physically, let alone mentally, for more than a month or two. How people like that don't burn out, I'll never know.

That guy sounds like a STEMI waiting to happen. Hope for his sake it doesn’t.

 

[Clean7795]

Some people genetically have an easier time adjusting their circadian rhythm or doing night work. Not me though.

 

[Angry Birds]

I have an attending who’s still working 240 hours per month, in his 60s. That just boggles my mind.

He was making fun of me for being “unmotivated” because I said I hadn’t seen my wife or dog in 10 days and wanted a day off.

How many ex-wives does he have

 

[GassYous]

How many ex-wives does he have

Only takes one

 

[Dr Mantis Toboggan]

That guy sounds like a STEMI waiting to happen. Hope for his sake it doesn’t.

There are some old school docs who legitimately love being in the hospital. I’m not one of them. There was a doc at our local VA who was chief resident there in like 1960. He worked well into his 80s and recently died, worked essentially right up to the end. Could’ve retired with a sweet pension really at any point in the last 25-30 years.

 

[southerndoc]

How many ex-wives does he have

Some people work a lot to escape their current wife not to support their ex-wives.

 

[skougess]

There are some old school docs who legitimately love being in the hospital. I’m not one of them. There was a doc at our local VA who was chief resident there in like 1960. He worked well into his 80s and recently died, worked essentially right up to the end. Could’ve retired with a sweet pension really at any point in the last 25-30 years.

I’ll never get it. I still have passion for this job and and most days would still even go so far as to say I “love” it. But there are so many things I’d rather do than go to work. I’ve been unemployed for long periods before and I was NOT bored.