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Approximately 40% of Japanese physicians report working more than 960 hr of overtime annually, with 10% exceeding 1860 hr. To protect their health, annual overtime limits went into effect in 2024. The objective of this study was to investigate associations of self-reported sleep duration with psychological health and objective alertness. This was a cross-sectional National Survey for The Work Style Reform of Long Working Physicians. Physicians self-reported daily sleep duration, burnout (Abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory), depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale) and traffic accidents. Alertness was then evaluated using the brief Psychomotor Vigilance Test. Of 20,382 physicians invited, 1226 completed the survey and brief Psychomotor Vigilance Test. Daily sleep duration was inversely associated with weekly work hours (ß = -5.4; 95% confidence interval -6.8 to -4.0, p < 0.0001). Sleep duration < 6 hr and ≥ 8 hr per day was associated with slower responses on the brief Psychomotor Vigilance Test (adjusted p < 0.05). An additional 10 hr worked per week was associated with a 0.40 point (95% confidence interval 0.08-0.72) increase in burnout severity and a 1.7% (95% confidence interval 0.1-3.3%) increase in odds of reporting a traffic accident. Increased brief Psychomotor Vigilance Test lapses, indicating lower alertness, were associated with worse symptoms of depression (ß = 0.23 points; 95% confidence interval 0.14-0.31, p < 0.0001) and burnout (ß = 0.25 points; 95% confidence interval 0.13-0.36, p < 0.0001). This study emphasizes the importance of sufficient sleep to maintain alertness, and supports limiting work hours for Japanese physicians to protect psychological health. Performance on the brief Psychomotor Vigilance Test may be a useful indicator of psychological health.
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BACKGROUND: Nursing home staff often face challenges in achieving a satisfactory work-life balance, particularly because of the nature of shift work. While long shifts offer extended periods off work, their impact on the delicate balance between work and leisure remains understudied in the context of nursing homes. This study investigated the experiences of nursing home staff in Norway working long shifts lasting 12-14 h and their perceptions of the balance between family life and work. METHODS: Eighteen nursing home staff members were interviewed following a semi-structured qualitative approach. The participants worked in three types of long shifts and provided insights into their experiences, addressing issues such as work hours, shift patterns, and work-family balance. RESULTS: The study revealed four main categories: (1) impact of long shifts on family life-the highs and lows; (2) maximizing time off with long shifts; (3) reducing job stress with long shifts; and (4) full-time work leads to predictable hours and stable income. The participants emphasised the distinct separation between work and leisure during long shifts, acknowledging limited social life during working periods but appreciating extended periods off. Family life posed challenges, especially with young children, but the participants found benefits in the longer periods of family time during days off. Longer rest periods and reduced commuting time were perceived as advantages of long shifts, contributing to better sleep, reduced stress and overall well-being. Long shifts also allowed for more predictable working hours and income, supporting a stable work-life balance. CONCLUSION: Balancing work and family life involves more than just the number of hours spent at work; it also encompasses the quality of those hours both at work and at home. Our findings underscore the complex interplay between work and family life for nursing home staff working long shifts. While challenges exist, benefits such as extended time off, improved sleep, reduced stress, and predictable working hours contribute positively to their work-life balance. Long shifts in nursing homes offer a unique perspective on achieving work-life balance, revealing both the challenges and advantages inherent in such schedules. Understanding the experiences of nursing home staff in this context can inform future innovations in shift scheduling, promoting a more balanced and sustainable work environment for healthcare professionals. For some healthcare staff, extended shifts can lead to a better work-life balance.
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OBJECTIVE: To characterize the extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aspects of the anesthesia residency experience from the perspective of American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia (ACVAA) mentors and trainees. This includes the residency interview process, didactic training and availability and variety of clinical cases for resident learning. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional, online, anonymous voluntary survey. SAMPLE POPULATION: A total of 58 respondents, representing 30 residency program mentors and 28 residents. METHODS: Surveys were distributed by email to 94 residency program mentors and 70 residents, representing programs and residents registered with the ACVAA during the years of 2019-2021. Anonymous links to an online survey were provided via a link embedded in the email. Questions included perceived impacts (-5 to +5 scale) on didactic and clinical training, case distribution, workload, residency application and selection process, and mental health. Responses were summarized with descriptive statistics [median (IQR) or mean ± SD]. RESULTS: The overall survey response rate was 31.9% (30/94) and 40.0% (28/70) for resident program mentors and residents, respectively. There was a negative perceived impact on overall residency training reported: -1.0 (IQR -2.0 to 0) for program mentors and -1.5 ± 1.5 for residents. The reported perceived impact of travel limitations on case log completion was -2.0 (IQR -4.0 to -1.0) for program mentors and -2.4 ± 2.0 for residents. Program mentors and residents had incongruent feelings on the impact of the pandemic on work hours, with residents reporting a perceived increase in work hours [+2.1 ± 2.1 versus 0 (IQR -1.0 to 0)]. CONCLUSIONS: Residency program mentors and residents generally agreed that the COVID-19 pandemic had negatively impacted multiple aspects of residency interview and training process. A broader, objective analysis of veterinary anesthesia training programs is required to fully elucidate the scale of the impact on veterinary anesthesia training.
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Objectives: This study examined the impact of nurse staffing, working hours, mandatory overtime, and turnover on nurse outcomes in acute care hospitals. Previous studies have focused on the single characteristics of sub-optimal nurse staffing but have not considered them comprehensively. Methods: Data were collected in July-September 2022 using convenience sampling and an online survey (N = 397). For the analysis, 264 nurses working as staff nurses at 28 hospitals met the inclusion criteria. Univariate analysis and multivariable generalized estimating equation (GEE) were performed. Results: Both nurse staffing (ß = -0.036, standard error [SE] = 0.011) and turnover (ß = -0.006, SE = 0.003) were significant factors affecting job satisfaction. In the multivariable GEE, only mandatory overtime (ß = 0.395, SE = 0.116) was significantly related to intent to leave. Nurse staffing, work hours, mandatory overtime, and turnover were not significantly related to burnout. Subjective health status and workload were significantly associated with burnout. Conclusion: Nurse staffing policies and improvement programs in hospitals should be implemented to improve nurses' job satisfaction. Labor policy should ban mandatory overtime.
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Burnout, Professional , Job Satisfaction , Nursing Staff, Hospital , Personnel Staffing and Scheduling , Personnel Turnover , Workload , Humans , Burnout, Professional/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Personnel Turnover/statistics & numerical data , Female , Male , Nursing Staff, Hospital/psychology , Adult , Surveys and Questionnaires , Middle Aged , IntentionABSTRACT
We examine the effects of the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansions on the employment and work hours of nursing assistants (NAs). We use the 2011-2019 American Community Survey data to identify NAs likely to be affected by Medicaid expansions (income up to 138% of the federal poverty level) in nursing homes and hospitals. Using classical difference-in-differences regressions, we find that Medicaid expansions have little effect on employment and work hours among NAs in the full sample. However, there is a 4.4 percentage-point increase in the probability of working part-time (<30 hours/week) for nursing home NAs (p < .05). We found no employment effects of Medicaid expansions for hospital NAs. Our study adds to the literature on the heterogeneous effects of Medicaid expansions on work effort across occupations and workplaces. The rise in part-time employment for nursing home NAs following Medicaid expansions suggests the need for improved benefits to encourage full-time employment.
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BACKGROUND: Otorhinolaryngology (ORL) specialists treat patients of different ages, ranging from elderly patients with head and neck tumors to neonates with respiratory problems. No studies have been conducted to explore the factors that affect the preference for ORL among Umm Al-Qura University students. We aimed to investigate factors and motivators influencing medical students at Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, who choose to pursue a career in ORL-head and neck surgery. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This cross-sectional study was conducted over two months in 2023 among 439 students in the pre-clinical, clinical, and internship years of the Faculty of Medicine at Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia. We shared a Google Forms questionnaire (Google, Inc., Mountain View, CA) and explored factors associated with interest in ear, nose, and throat (ENT) as a future specialty. We used Pearson's chi-square test to arrive at the results. RESULTS: A total of 339 (77.2%) participants were female. Participants were evenly divided between pre-clinical years (213 (48.5%)) and clinical years (207 (47.2%)), with a smaller percentage in the internship category (19 (4.3%)). ORL involvement was reported in 159 (36.2%) of the participants. CONCLUSION: The surgical specialty of ORL focuses mostly on conditions affecting the head, neck, nose, and ears. Since students found this specialty fascinating, we recommend that senior doctors make a greater effort to enlighten doctors-in-training about this field of expertise through lectures and campaigns at hospitals and universities.
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Introduction: Ground transportation drivers face substantial risks to cardiovascular health, mainly hypercholesterolemia, possibly related to the hours of the workday.Objective. Determine the relationship between working hours and cholesterol level in land transport drivers in a company in Lima between the period from January 2022 to August 2023.Materials and methods. Correlational, cross-sectional research, which included 107 transport drivers. The main variables were: Hours of daily and weekly workday, total cholesterol and high-density lipoproteins (HDL), the instrument used was a data collection form. Spearman's Rho correlation test was used in the statistical analysis. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos.Results. It was observed that 47.02% of the workers worked between 9 and 10 hours a day, while 57.9% worked 61 to 72 hours a day. Furthermore, the majority of drivers had total cholesterol levels between 160 and 199 mg/dl (38.3%), and HDL cholesterol between 35 and 59 mg/dl (93.5%). A significant and direct correlation was determined between daily (p=0.026, Rho=0.216) and weekly (p=0.038, Rho=0.201) working hours with total cholesterol. No significant relationship was found with HDL cholesterol.Conclusions. It was identified that the hours of daily and weekly work hours were significantly related to the level of total cholesterol.
Introducción: Los conductores de transporte terrestre enfrentan riesgos sustanciales para la salud cardiovascular, principalmente hipercolesterolemia, posiblemente relacionadas a las largas horas de jornada laboral.Objetivo. Determinar la relación entre las horas de jornada laboral y nivel de colesterol en conductores de transporte terrestre en una empresa de Lima entre el periodo de enero 2022 hasta agosto de 2023.Materiales y métodos. Investigación correlacional, de corte transversal, que incluyó a 107 conductores de transporte. Las variables principales fueron: Horas de jornada laboral diaria y semanal, colesterol total y lipoproteínas de alta densidad (HDL), el instrumento empleado fue una ficha de recolección de datos. En el análisis estadístico se empleó la prueba de correlación Rho de Spearman. El estudio fue aprobado por el Comité de Ética de la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos.Resultados. Se observó que el 47,02% de los trabajadores laboraba entre 9 y 10 horas diarias, mientras que el 57,9% lo hacía de 61 a 72 horas. Además, la mayoría de los conductores presentaba niveles de colesterol total entre 160 y 199 mg/dl (38,3%), y colesterol HDL entre 35 a 59 mg/dl (93,5%). Se determinó correlación significativa y directa entre las horas de jornada laboral diaria (p=0,026, Rho=0,216) y semanal (p=0,038, Rho=0,201) con el colesterol total. No se encontró relación significativa con el colesterol HDL.Conclusiones. Se identificó que las horas de jornada laboral diaria y semanal se relacionaron significativamente con el nivel de colesterol total.
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Objective To examine the relationship between nurses' sleep quality and their tendency to commit medical errors. Materials and Methods The research was conducted in a state hospital, a private hospital, and a university hospital in a province located in the west region of Turkey (n = 378 nurses) between September 2020 and October 2021. Data was collected using a sociodemographic data form, the Medical Error Tendency Scale in Nursing (METSN), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Verbal and written consent were obtained from the nurses who participated in the study. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews. Results The mean score of the nurses was of 8.25 ± 4.81 on the PSQI and of 230.29 ± 14.15 on the METSN. A significant difference was found regarding age, marital status, level of schooling, weekly working hours, and the shift schedule of nurses and their sleep quality ( p < 0.001). A significant difference was found regarding age, marital status, level of schooling, the hospital the nurses worked in, and the tendency to commit medical errors ( p < 0.001). There was a statistically significant negative and moderate correlation between the PSQI and METSN scores ( p < 0.001; r = -0.548). Conclusion The tendency of nurses to commit medical errors was determined as low, and their sleep quality was poor. We have also determined that, as the sleep quality worsened, the tendency of nurses to commit medical errors increased.
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BACKGROUND: Atypical temporal work patterns such as working longer than the standard 35-40 h/ week, weekend working, and nonstandard work schedules (i.e. outside of the typical 9-5, including but not restricted to shiftwork) are increasingly prevalent in the UK. Aside from occupation-specific studies, little is known about the effects of these atypical temporal work patterns on sleep among workers in the UK, even though poor sleep has been linked to adverse health problems, lower workplace productivity, and economic costs. METHOD: We used regression models to investigate associations between three types of atypical temporal work patterns (long and short weekly work hours, weekend working, and nonstandard schedules) and sleep duration and disturbance using data from over 25,000 employed men and women from 2012-2014 and/or 2015-2017 in the UK Household Longitudinal Study, adjusting for potential confounders and psychosocial work factors. RESULTS: We found that relative to a standard 35-40 h/week, working 55 h/week or more was related to short sleep (less than 7 h/night) and sleep disturbance. Working most/all weekends compared to non-weekends was associated with short sleep, long sleep (more than 8 h/night), and sleep disturbance, as was working nonstandard schedules relative to standard schedules (fixed day-time schedules). Further analyses suggested some gender differences. CONCLUSIONS: These results should prompt employers and policymakers to recognise the need for rest and recovery, consider how the timing and scheduling of work might be improved to better support workers' health and productivity, and consider appropriate compensation for anyone required to work atypical temporal work patterns.
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Sleep Duration , Work Schedule Tolerance , Male , Humans , Female , Longitudinal Studies , Work Schedule Tolerance/psychology , Personnel Staffing and Scheduling , Sleep , United KingdomABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to characterize public awareness and opinion regarding resident physician work hours in the United States. METHODS: We conducted a nationally representative cross-sectional survey among adults in the United States. Demographic quota-based sampling was conducted by Qualtrics to match 2020 United States Census estimates of age, sex, race, and ethnicity. Descriptive statistics are presented. Hypothesis testing was conducted to identify characteristics associated with agreement with current resident physician work-hour policies. RESULTS: 4763 adults in the United States participated in the study. 97.1% of the public believes that resident physicians should not work 24-hour shifts and 95.6% believe the current 80 hours resident work week is too long. 66.4% of the participants reported that the maximum shift duration should be 12 consecutive hours or fewer, including 22.9% who recommended a maximum shift length of 8 hours. Similarly, 66.4% reported that maximum weekly work hours should be 59 or fewer, including 24.9% who recommended a maximum of 40 weekly work hours. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly all US adults disagree with current work-hour policies for resident physicians. Public opinion supports limiting shifts to no more than 12 consecutive hours and weekly work to no more than 60 hours, which is in sharp contrast to current regulations that permit of 28 hours shifts and 80 hours of work per week.
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BACKGROUND: Work intensification can lead to both work-related and non-work-related outcomes that positively and negatively affect the employee, organization, and job in question. The criticality of this phenomena necessitates conducting a systematic review to capture the essence of the extant literature. OBJECTIVE: This paper presents a systematic review of the literature on work intensification from 1989 to 2022. It reviews the conceptualization of the construct, explores the factors influencing work intensification, identifies its outcomes, moderators, and mediators, and provides a review of the theories that have been used to support the phenomena of work intensification. METHODS: The systematic review employed the PRISMA approach to screen 2823 records from the Web of Science database and extract 74 quantitative studies for final examination. RESULTS: Firstly, work intensification has primarily been conceptualized through various constructs such as workload, long work hours, and time pressure. Secondly, there are well-established positive and negative outcomes associated with work intensification, either directly or through mediators. Thirdly, both the conservation of resource theory and the job-demands resource theory are widely utilized to support models related to work intensification. CONCLUSION: The study urges practitioners to enhance their efforts in effectively managing employees' intensified work demands, particularly in relation to work overload, working hours, and time pressure. By addressing these factors, organizations can minimize negative outcomes and promote positive consequences.
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Stress, Psychological , Time Pressure , Humans , WorkloadABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Mathematical models of human neurobehavioral performance that include the effects of acute and chronic sleep restriction can be key tools in assessment and comparison of work schedules, allowing quantitative predictions of performance when empirical assessment is impractical. METHODS: Using such a model, we tested the hypothesis that resident physicians working an extended duration work roster, including 24-28 hours of continuous duty and up to 88 hours per week averaged over 4weeks, would have worse predicted performance than resident physicians working a rapidly cycling work roster intervention designed to reduce the duration of extended shifts. The performance metric used was attentional failures (ie, Psychomotor Vigilance Task lapses). Model input was 169 actual work and sleep schedules. Outcomes were predicted hours per week during work hours spent at moderate (equivalent to 16-20 hours of continuous wakefulness) or high (equivalent to ≥20 hours of continuous wakefulness) performance impairment. RESULTS: The model predicted that resident physicians working an extended duration work roster would spend significantly more time at moderate impairment (p = .02, effect size=0.2) than those working a rapidly cycling work roster; this difference was most pronounced during the circadian night (p < .001). On both schedules, performance was predicted to decline from weeks 1 + 2 to weeks 3 + 4 (p < .001), but the rate of decline was significantly greater on extended duration work roster (p < .01). Predicted performance impairment was inversely related to prior sleep duration (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate the utility of a mathematical model to evaluate the predicted performance profile of schedules for resident physicians and others who experience chronic sleep restriction and circadian misalignment.
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Associations between various forms of activity engagement (e.g. work, leisure) and the experience of stress in workers have been widely documented. The mechanisms underlying these effects, however, are not fully understood. Our goal was to investigate if perceived whole day workload accounted for the relationships between daily frequencies of activities (i.e. work hours and leisure/rest) and daily stress. We analyzed data from 56 workers with type 1 diabetes (T1D) who completed approximately two weeks of intensive longitudinal assessments. Daily whole day workload was measured with an adapted version of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA-TLX). A variety of occupations were reported including lawyer, housekeeper, and teacher. In multilevel path analyses, day-to-day changes in whole day workload mediated 67% (p<.001), 61% (p<.001), 38% (p<.001), and 55% (p<.001) of the within-person relationships between stress and work hours, rest frequency, active leisure frequency, and day of week, respectively. Our results provided evidence that whole day workload perception may contribute to the processes linking daily activities with daily stress in workers with T1D. Perceived whole day workload may deserve greater attention as a possible stress intervention target, ones that perhaps ergonomists would be especially suited to address.
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BACKGROUND: Traditional methods for investigating work hours rely on an employee's physical presence at the worksite. However, accurately identifying break times at the worksite and distinguishing remote work outside the worksite poses challenges in work hour estimations. Machine learning has the potential to differentiate between human-smartphone interactions at work and off work. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to develop a novel approach called "probability in work mode," which leverages human-smartphone interaction patterns and corresponding GPS location data to estimate work hours. METHODS: To capture human-smartphone interactions and GPS locations, we used the "Staff Hours" app, developed by our team, to passively and continuously record participants' screen events, including timestamps of notifications, screen on or off occurrences, and app usage patterns. Extreme gradient boosted trees were used to transform these interaction patterns into a probability, while 1-dimensional convolutional neural networks generated successive probabilities based on previous sequence probabilities. The resulting probability in work mode allowed us to discern periods of office work, off-work, breaks at the worksite, and remote work. RESULTS: Our study included 121 participants, contributing to a total of 5503 person-days (person-days represent the cumulative number of days across all participants on which data were collected and analyzed). The developed machine learning model exhibited an average prediction performance, measured by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, of 0.915 (SD 0.064). Work hours estimated using the probability in work mode (higher than 0.5) were significantly longer (mean 11.2, SD 2.8 hours per day) than the GPS-defined counterparts (mean 10.2, SD 2.3 hours per day; P<.001). This discrepancy was attributed to the higher remote work time of 111.6 (SD 106.4) minutes compared to the break time of 54.7 (SD 74.5) minutes. CONCLUSIONS: Our novel approach, the probability in work mode, harnessed human-smartphone interaction patterns and machine learning models to enhance the precision and accuracy of work hour investigation. By integrating human-smartphone interactions and GPS data, our method provides valuable insights into work patterns, including remote work and breaks, offering potential applications in optimizing work productivity and well-being.
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Machine Learning , Smartphone , Humans , Algorithms , Neural Networks, Computer , ProbabilityABSTRACT
Objectives: We expressed the combined effect by the ratio of daily sleep time to daily work time. The aim of this study was to discussed the predictive ability of daily sleep hours/work hours (SH/WH) ratio for diabetes risk. Methods: Cox proportional hazards regression was used to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) of new-onset diabetes. Restricted cubic spline analyses were performed to visualize the influence trend of SH/WH ratio and diabetes risk. Results: The RCS model revealed a non-linear and L-shaped correlation between SH/WH ratio and diabetes risk. Compared with the participates with SH/WH ratio <1, those with a ratio ≥1 had a lower risk of developing diabetes. The multivariable adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of new-onset diabetes in Q2, Q3, Q4 and Q5 groups compared with Q1 group were 0.82 (0.57, 1.19), 1.05 (0.69, 1.59), 0.57 (0.36, 0.91), 0.66 (0.42, 1.06). The Kaplan-Meier curve showed that Q4 group had lower cumulative incidence. Conclusion: Sleeping longer than working (SH/WH ratio ≥1) can reduce risk for developing diabetes. A minimal risk observed at 1.10-<1.37 (the fourth quintile) of SH/WH ratio.
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Diabetes Mellitus , Humans , Diabetes Mellitus/epidemiology , Diabetes Mellitus/prevention & control , Risk , Incidence , Sleep , Time Factors , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic led to an increased demand for hospital beds, which in turn led to unique changes to both the organisation and delivery of patient care, including the adoption of adaptive models of care. Our objective was to understand staff perspectives on adaptive models of care employed in intensive care units (ICUs) during the pandemic. METHODS: We interviewed 77 participants representing direct care staff (registered nurses) and members of the nursing management team (nurse managers, clinical educators and nurse practitioners) from 12 different ICUs. Thematic analysis was used to code and analyse the data. RESULTS: Our findings highlight effective elements of adaptive models of care, including appreciation for redeployed staff, organising aspects of team-based models and ICU culture. Challenges experienced with the pandemic models of care were heightened workload, the influence of experience, the disparity between model and practice and missed care. Finally, debriefing, advanced planning and preparation, the redeployment process and management support and communication were important areas to consider in implementing future adaptive care models. CONCLUSION: The implementation of adaptive models of care in ICUs during the COVID-19 pandemic provided a rapid solution for staffing during the surge in critical care patients. Findings from this study highlight some of the challenges of implementing redeployment as a staffing strategy, including how role clarity and accountability can influence the adoption of care delivery models, lead to workarounds and contribute to adverse patient and nurse outcomes.
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COVID-19 , Humans , Pandemics , Intensive Care Units , Qualitative Research , HospitalsABSTRACT
This article examines the impact of working-hour restrictions on the well-being, performance, and education of medical residents in Japan. Despite Japan's plan to introduce new regulations for resident working hours by 2024, there is still an ongoing debate regarding their appropriateness. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current regulations of resident working hours worldwide, with a specific focus on weekly hours. The varying regulations are highlighted, including the 80-hour-per-week regulation in the United States and the 48-h-per-week regulation in the European Union influencing other regions. The article also discusses the effectiveness of working-hour restrictions on residents' mental health, with shorter working hours having potentially greater benefits. However, the impacts on medical safety and resident education are mixed, and further reduction in working hours must be carefully considered to avoid adverse effects. The planned changes to working-hour limits for residents in Japan offer a unique opportunity to gain new evidence on the impact of such regulations, which will be of interest to policymakers and researchers worldwide.
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[This corrects the article DOI: 10.18332/tpc/162878.].
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Climate change is expected to increase occupational heat stress, which will lead to diminished work performance and labor losses worldwide. However, sub-regional analyses remain insufficient, especially for countries with a heterogeneous spatial distribution of working populations, industries and climates. Here, we projected heat-induced labor losses in China, by considering local climate simulations, working population characteristics and developing an exposure-response function suitable for Chinese workers. We showed that the annual heat-induced work hours lost (WHL), compared to the baseline of 21.3 billion hours, will increase by 121.1% (111.2%-131.1%), 10.8% (8.3%-15.3%), and -17.8% (-15.3%--20.3%) by the end of the century under RCP(Representative Concentration Pathways)8.5, RCP4.5, and RCP2.6, respectively. We observed an approximately linear upward trend of WHL under RCP8.5, despite the decrease in future working population. Notably, WHL will be most prominent in the southern, eastern and central regions, with Guangdong and Henan accounting for a quarter of national total losses; this is largely due to their higher temperature exposure, larger population size, and higher shares of vulnerable population in total employment. In addition, limiting global warming to 1.5 °C would yield substantial gains. Compared to RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5, all provinces can avoid an average of 11.8%, 33.7%, and 53.9% of annual WHL if the 1.5 °C target is achieved, which is equivalent to avoiding 0.1%, 0.6%, and 1.4% of annual GDP losses in China, respectively. This study revealed climate change will exacerbate future labor losses, and adverse impacts can be minimized by adopting stringent mitigation policies coupled with effective adaptation measures. Policymakers in each province should tailor occupation health protection measures to their circumstances.
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ABSTRACT Objective: To describe the role of physiotherapists in assisting patients suspected to have or diagnosed with COVID-19 hospitalized in intensive care units in Brazil regarding technical training, working time, care practice, labor conditions and remuneration. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional survey was carried out through an electronic questionnaire distributed to physiotherapists who worked in the care of patients with COVID-19 in Brazilian intensive care units. Results: A total of 657 questionnaires were completed by physiotherapists from the five regions of the country, with 85.3% working in adult, 5.4% in neonatal, 5.3% in pediatric and 3.8% in mixed intensive care units (pediatric and neonatal). In intensive care units with a physiotherapists available 24 hours/day, physiotherapists worked more frequently (90.6%) in the assembly, titration, and monitoring of noninvasive ventilation (p = 0.001). Most intensive care units with 12-hour/day physiotherapists (25.8%) did not apply any protocol compared to intensive care units with 18-hour/day physiotherapy (9.9%) versus 24 hours/day (10.2%) (p = 0.032). Most of the respondents (51.0%) received remuneration 2 or 3 times the minimum wage, and only 25.1% received an additional payment for working with patients suspected to have or diagnosed with COVID-19; 85.7% of them did not experience a lack of personal protective equipment. Conclusion: Intensive care units with 24-hour/day physiotherapists had higher percentages of protocols and noninvasive ventilation for patients with COVID-19. The use of specific resources varied between the types of intensive care units and hospitals and in relation to the physiotherapists' labor conditions. This study showed that most professionals had little experience in intensive care and low wages.
RESUMO Objetivo: Descrever o papel dos fisioterapeutas na assistência a pacientes com suspeita ou diagnóstico da COVID-19 internados em unidades de terapia intensiva no Brasil em relação a: formação técnica, tempo de trabalho, prática assistencial, condições de trabalho e remuneração. Métodos: Foi realizado um inquérito transversal analítico com questionário eletrônico distribuído aos fisioterapeutas que atuavam no atendimento de pacientes com COVID-19 em unidades de terapia intensiva brasileiras. Resultados: Foram preenchidos 657 questionários por fisioterapeutas das cinco regiões do país, sendo que 85,3% trabalhavam em unidades de terapia intensiva adulto, 5,4% em neonatal, 5,3% em pediátrica e 3,8% em unidades de terapia intensiva mista (pediátrica e neonatal). Nas unidades de terapia intensiva com um fisioterapeuta disponível 24 horas por dia, os fisioterapeutas trabalharam com mais frequência (90,6%) na montagem, titulação e monitoramento da ventilação não invasiva (p = 0,001). A maioria das UTIs com fisioterapia 12 horas por dia (25,8%) não aplicou nenhum protocolo comparativamente às unidades de terapia intensiva com fisioterapia 18 horas por dia (9,9%) e às de 24 horas por dia (10,2%) (p = 0,032). A maioria dos entrevistados (51,0%) recebia remuneração de duas a três vezes o salário mínimo, e apenas 25,1% recebiam pagamento adicional por trabalhar com pacientes com suspeita ou diagnóstico da COVID-19; 85,7% deles não enfrentaram falta de Equipamentos de Proteção Individual. Conclusão: As unidades de terapia intensiva com fisioterapeutas 24 horas por dia apresentaram maiores porcentagens de protocolos e ventilação não invasiva para pacientes com COVID-19. A utilização de recursos específicos variou entre os tipos de unidades de terapia intensiva e hospitais e em relação às condições de trabalho dos fisioterapeutas. Este estudo mostrou que a maioria dos profissionais tinha pouca experiência em terapia intensiva e baixa remuneração.