Resident work hour changes in children's hospitals: impact on staffing patterns and workforce needs

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Healthcare Workforce
• Residency Program Management
• Hospital Operations

Background:

• Resident duty hour regulations impact hospital staffing needs.
• Children's hospitals face compensatory workforce demands to maintain patient care standards.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess staffing and duty assignment adjustments in children's hospitals.
• To understand changes made in response to residency duty hour shifts over the past two years.
• To forecast anticipated workforce changes in the next two years.

Main Methods:

• A mail survey was distributed to chief executive officers and chief operating officers.
• The survey targeted 114 freestanding children's hospitals or children's hospitals within larger institutions.
• A 65.4% response rate was achieved.

Main Results:

• Over half of responding hospitals (57%) increased hospitalist full-time equivalents (FTEs) due to 2011 resident work hour changes.
• Significant increases in pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) (48%) and neonatal nurse practitioners (NNPs) (42%) FTEs were reported.
• Hospitals plan further increases in hospitalists (69%), PNPs (59%), and pediatric attending physicians (56%) over the next two years.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric resident duty hour modifications directly influence hospital workforce planning.
• Reduced resident work hours are projected to increase demand for non-resident physicians, PNPs, and NNPs.
• These workforce shifts are critical for ensuring adequate patient care coverage in pediatric settings.