16 Hours Shifts

In The New York Times article, “New Guideline Will Allow First-Year Doctors to Work 24-Hour Shifts,” authors Gina Kolata and Jan Hoffman explain what the new guideline will entail and how it will affect patients and their families. The new rule will not affect the current standing that residents can work no longer than 80 hours a week. While some people are against the longer shift, it may actually be better for patient care. Evidence shows that the shorter shifts did not improve patient care, but rather disrupt it when the shift was over. The new guideline will allow doctors the ability to take full care of their patients. This new guideline will be beneficial for patients’ care. The new guideline was not originally accepted. A lot of people feared it would have a negative impact, so studies were done to see what the outcome would be. Surgical residents, along with multiple other organizations, reported that they strongly preferred the option to work longer shifts. Having 16 hours to work did not provide
For the past 30 years, it has been a controversy. When a patient died because of a residents failure to take care of them, the 16 hour regulation was put into place. The critics of the new guideline state that, “exhausted and inexperienced residents will be working too many hours to remain alert and focus on the critical decisions they make” (Kolata). The residents are not required to work the full 24 hours, their shifts can be shorter. Now they have the option to extend their hours. Studies have been done to try and prove how the 16 hour regulation would improve care. No evidence has been shown to improve care, so the organization that heads medical students’ work rules decided to change it. The benefits of the guideline are abundant, and soon people will recognize its importance and