Developing a simulator to help junior doctors deal with night shifts

Abstract

Outside of the Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 of hospital operation a skeleton staff of junior doctors, support workers, and nurses must provide safe and timely care in hospitals. Junior doctors currently receive little training to help them deal with the unique demands of 'Out of Hours' care. We aim to rectify this situation by exploiting a unique data resource to accurately simulate a night shift. This paper will explore the need to develop a simulator to increase junior doctor's skills for prioritizing their high and changing workload, making key decisions on contacting other services and specialists, planning complex routes around large and potentially unfamiliar hospitals, managing their personal needs for rest and sustenance, and handing over succinctly and accurately at the end of their shift.</p

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