Mikkael A. Sekeres, MD, MS, and Theodore A. Stern, MD
Forgot your login? GET HELP
Background: In a general hospital, few clinical
settings match the intensity of the intensive care unit (ICU)
experience. Clinical rotations in ICUs elicit and emphasize the
struggles house officers face on a daily basis throughout their
training.
Method: These struggles were recorded by
hundreds of residents in a journal maintained in one Medical ICU
for the past 20 years. We systematically reviewed these
unsolicited entries to develop categories that define and
illustrate common stressors.
Results: Stressors for house officers include
isolation, insecurity, care for the terminally ill, sleep
deprivation, and long work weeks.
Conclusion: By placing the struggles of house
staff in context, trainees and their residency training programs
can be prepared for the intensity of the experience and for work
in clinical practice settings that follows completion of
training.
Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry 2002;4(5):184-190
https://doi.org/10.4088/PCC.v04n0503
© Copyright 2002 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.