When it comes to the transfer of training, the on-the-job education of medical
personnel has undergone a sea change in the last few years.
No
longer are interns subjected to excessively long stints on duty without a
break. Whereas once they had shifts in the hospital of 36 straight hours, a
typical shift is now 16 hours long - a greater than 50% reduction. The initial intention was to reduce errors
but, in fact, studies show that the incidence of medical errors by interns has
risen.
The
important research into the reasons behind this increase continues. Meantime,
there are a few suppositions that have implications for those of us in the
learning and development industry.
- Less Practice. With shorter hours on the floor, doctors are receiving less on-the-job hospital training. They see fewer patients, are exposed to fewer medical situations, and seem less well prepared to deal with the variety of cases presented to them.
- With shorter tours, there are more hand-offs. And with each transition from one doctor’s care to another, there is the possibility of miscommunication…as well as the lessening of accountability since the patient’s care is spread among so many.
