Understaffing and overworking in hospitals is a second pandemic all its own. Unfortunately, those left behind have to deal with the full impact of getting overworked.
In the end, as a medical professional who gets overworked at an understaffed hospital, you could even see your license threatened eventually.
What causes overwork?
The National Library of Medicine discusses the impact of overworking medical staff on the overall safety of medical facilities. Generally speaking, this occurs when a facility does not have an adequate number of staff to cover all shifts appropriately. In order to keep the facility running at its maximum, staff sometimes have to take on double or even triple shifts. Some staff complains that they only get a few hours to sleep in between enormous 12-hour shifts, stating that they often just nap in the break room.
Making mistakes as a medical professional
Of course, the less sleep a person gets, the more likely they are to make mistakes. This goes for everyone, even top of the line doctors and medical staff. In short, working too hard and not resting enough makes it easier to mess up while on the job.
Unfortunately, messing up in a medical setting can potentially alter the outcome of a patient’s illness or surgery. In severe cases, it might even impact their chance of recovery or even their survival rates.
If you make such a big mistake in a patient’s case due to overworking and exhaustion, it still counts as negligence and can lead to the revocation of your license. This is important for any medical professional or personnel to understand, as it can happen to anyone.
