Resident doctors are typically overworked. They have to work up to 36 hours per shift in a hospital. But the lack of sleep can greatly affect their effectiveness as a doctor. That’s why some hospitals now are re-designing their on-call room through the help of a healthcare architecture firm.
The modern design for the doctor’s on-call room aims to encourage sleep. In that way, doctors can get a sufficient nap to energize.
Healthcare Architecture Firm Understands the Importance of Sleep
Did you know that when doctors are sleep deprived, they are likely to lead to medical mistakes that could cause the patient’s death? With longer hours of work and fewer hours of sleep, how doctors treat their patients can be negatively affected.
Although longer work hours can provide doctors the valuable experience they need as a doctor. They can view the evolution of the disease and learn the profession. But because of their shorter sleep hours, most of them suffer from fatigue that greatly affects performance.
Resident doctors are required to work for 36 to 80 hours per week. However, if they can, they’re allowed to nap or get at least an hour of rest.
Unfortunately, most hospitals don’t have proper on-call rooms that encourage sleep. They have bunk beds but some doctors don’t feel like resting there but they’re a mess.
Because there’s a link between lack of sleep and increasing medical mistakes, some hospitals in LA are redesigning their on-call rooms to provide doctors the proper room for resting.
There are many recommendations on how to design a room for doctors that promote sleep. One of them is to have a dark room that’s clean and quiet.
It has to have the right temperature to encourage restful sleep. The room should only be used for sleeping. In that way, when doctors are inside, they are more likely to sleep better and not to read or study.
Doctors should have another room for studying. It has to be a separate room from where they sleep.
They are people and not machines. Thus, they must have a proper place where they can relax so they have the energy to face and treat their patients.
Sleep is vital because it’s an active period where the body processes a lot of information. This period also involves restoration and strengthening. Without proper sleep, doctors can’t treat their patients effectively.
Doctors with sufficient sleep perform better. That’s because our body is designed for a long period of sleep to restore and rejuvenate.
By giving doctors the right on-call room that encourages sleep while they can, they are likely to perform better. They don’t need a heavy dose of slumber. An hour of rest between shifts can improve their performance.
Doctors should also have a healthy environment where they can treat their patients more effectively. While they’re taking a break, they can go to a garden within the facility to help them relax.
If you are redesigning your hospital, particularly the on-call rooms for doctors, please give our healthcare architecture firm a call at (310) 473-3555.
