PhotoFirst-year doctors in training will now be permitted to work shifts lasting as long as 24 hours, eight hours longer than the current limit, according to a professional organization that sets work rules for graduates from medical schools in the United States. The rules do not change for residents after the first year, who have been permitted to work 24-hour shifts if necessary. The new rules also leave in place a requirement that all residents work no more than 80 hours a week. In 2011, the council required that first-year residents, unlike more experienced residents, work no longer than 16 hours in one stretch. The hope was that shorter shifts would improve patient care.

Source: New York Times March 11, 2017 03:04 UTC