Do pressure and fatigue influence resident job performance?

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Occupational Health
• Resident Well-being

Background:

• Global surveys indicate resident stress is a significant factor affecting job performance.
• Understanding the stressors impacting medical residents is crucial for improving healthcare quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between resident stress levels and their job performance.
• To identify specific stressors that correlate with diminished performance in medical residents.

Main Methods:

• A three-month survey of interns on inpatient wards assessed call schedules, sleep sufficiency, perceived pressure, teaching time, and patient care completion.
• Multiple logistic regression analysis was employed to evaluate the relationship between stressors and reported omissions in patient care and teaching.

Main Results:

• High perceived pressure and insufficient sleep were independently associated with poorer job performance.
• Interns experiencing both high pressure and insufficient sleep were over eight times more likely to omit patient care and over four times more likely to report inadequate teaching.

Conclusions:

• Subjective reports of high pressure and inadequate sleep are linked to decreased job performance among medical residents.
• Addressing resident stress, sleep deprivation, and workload is essential for enhancing patient care and educational outcomes.