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If you work in a hospital setting or have ever had to go to the emergency room, chances are you have encountered some sort of triaging protocol. The word “triage” is derived from the French word “trier,” which means to sort, separate out, or select. Originally, it was defined as the sorting of patients in mass casualty situations. Now, it is defined in emergency medicine as an assessment when a patient arrives to an ER. In hospitals all over the world, triage has become a successful and imperative process for bringing effective care to millions of patients each day. Especially in an emergency, triage refers to the sorting of injured or sick individuals according to their specific need for certain medical attention.

Often, hospitals are understaffed and overpopulated, making it essential for an efficient triage system to be in place. This may include a color-coded triage coding system that helps emergency staff treat the most critical patients first. In a study that was published in the February 2020 Journal of Hospital Medicine, it showed that each hospital structures triagist roles differently. In some medical organizations, triagists are making hefty admissions decisions and seeing patients simultaneously in the emergency department who are being considered for admission. In other hospital settings, triagists are not the primary hospitalists making admissions decisions, but rather serving in more of a supervisory role to residents and advanced practice professionals. The conclusion? The role of the triagist can vary from organization to organization.

Regardless of how it is structured, the Journal of General Internal Medicine (JGIM) believes that all triagists should have specific curricular competencies that will assist them in making critical transitionary care. Among these are:

“Interpersonal communication and professionalism, systems-based thinking and understanding the health care system as it relates to the triagist role, and patient-centered care as it relates to the transition from the outpatient to inpatient setting.” (1)

The Process

As we all know, the emergency room is not like a buffet – it’s not first-come-first-served. An initial assessment of the patient will ensure that seriously ill individuals receive medical attention prior to those with more non-urgent issues. By using best clinical judgement, as well as validated and reliable five-level emergency department triage scales such as the Emergency Severity Index or the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale, practitioners can decide on next steps. From there, it is decided on how the patient will be cared for, or if they will need to receive additional treatment elsewhere.

According to the American College of Emergency Physicians,

“The key to efficiency and clinical effectiveness in emergency care is based on reliable triaging. This will be predictive of outcomes reflective of illness severity such as mortality rate and resource requirements. Triage assignment would be done at a consistent point in the patient’s hospital visit (point of first contact in an episode of care), would be prospective, and would be done by experienced health care professionals with extensive experience in clinical judgement and decision-making. The triage process and rules must be easily understood, rapidly applied, have high rates of inter-rater agreement, facilitate appropriate placement, predict emergency department resource use requirements, and predict clinical outcome. Additionally, the adoption of a standardized triage scale could provide the basic yardstick for categorizing service intensity across jurisdictions.” (2)

In summary, it’s important to remember that triage care shouldn’t be practiced lackadaisically. By adhering to a specific set of practices and procedures, you are more likely to stay on the best course for not only your patients, but also your fellow employees.

The Bottom Line

The primary purpose of the triagist role is to determine how quickly someone needs to be seen and to save as many lives as possible. Setting priorities and utilizing proper resources can help lead to successful and accountable care. We understand that working as a triagist is not always easy and can be stressful and overwhelming at times. However, the reward of making a difference in the lives of others far outweighs any potential frustrations.

Learn More About Advanced Care Hospitalists (ACH)

ACH is a Lakeland-based hospitalist group providing comprehensive patient care in community hospitals across Central Florida. Our providers are highly skilled, board-certified internal medicine specialists who are available around-the-clock to meet the care needs of patients from hospital admission through discharge. Post-discharge from the hospital, we continue overseeing patient care for 30 days.

We’ve found that continued care coordination ensures more accurate medication reconciliation, improved compliance with discharge plans, better scheduling of follow-up visits, and fewer hospital readmissions. Our providers do everything in their power to make sure our patients receive the compassionate and comprehensive care they need to promote healing and prevent a second hospital admission.

For more information about our services and our practice, please contact Advanced Care Hospitalists at 863-816-5884 or fill out a contact form online.

References:

1. Wang, E.S., Velásquez, S.T., Smith, C.J. et al. Triaging Inpatient Admissions: an Opportunity for Resident Education. J GEN INTERN MED 34, 754–757 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-019-04882-2
2. Fernandes, Christopher B., Groth, Stephen J., Johnson, Loren A., Rosenau, Alexander M., Sumner, J. Andrew, Begley, Doreen, Beveridge, Robert C., Eitel, David R., & Wuerz, Richard C. A Uniform Triage Scale in Emergency Medicine, Information Paper. Subcommittee on National Triage Scale, Emergency Medicine Practice Committee, 1-7 (1999). https://www.acep.org/globalassets/uploads/uploaded-files/acep/clinical-and-practice-management/resources/administration/triagescaleip.pdf

Registered nursing is one of the top five most in-demand jobs in the United States workforce, according to LinkedIn. As the demand for health care grows, the United States Registered Nurse Workforce Report Card and Shortage Forecast: A Revisit predicts a shortage of registered nurses from now through 2030, mostly concentrated in the Northeast and Midwest regions.

Nurse Staffing Faces Deficit

Currently, the United States’ population of individuals over the age of 65 is higher than ever before in its history. In fact, the U.S. Census Bureau projects the number of senior citizens to reach more than 80 million by the year 2030.

What this means is two-fold: the demand for care will continue to rise, and the number of baby boomer nursing professionals will continue to shrink, as a large population of the nursing workforce sets out towards retirement. According to Medical Care, an American Public Health Association journal, it is predicted that over one million RNs will retire from the workforce between now and the next eight years.

According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN),

a 5.1% enrollment increase in entry-level baccalaureate programs in nursing occurred in 2019, however the increase was not sufficient to meet the projected demand for nursing services, including the need for more nurse faculty, researchers, and primary care providers.” (1)

Not only does this affect hospitals and health care organizations at large, it impacts patients as risks for medical errors and compromised quality of care are growing concerns. Additionally, as fewer nursing professionals are available, the time spent with patients in the exam room is expected to decrease, as wait times to be seen increase.

How to Address the Nursing Shortage

Unfortunately, there is not a one-size-fits-all solution for such an issue. However, there are initiatives that can be taken to help mitigate the issue at hand.

• Education – promoting flexible and affordable programs that incentivize students to enroll in and complete an RN or BSN degree.
• Flexible work arrangements – providing a culture that attracts nurses to remain committed to their work. These may include offering reduced work schedules for nurses nearing retirement age, providing childcare assistance, promoting positive mental health through wellness workshops, and offering employee assistance programs.
• Burnout prevention – supporting nurses by providing opportunities for continuing education and professional development, internal promotion, and on-site partnerships with nursing educational platforms.
• Activism & encouragement – advocacy programs and initiatives such as the Campaign for Nursing’s Future empower nurses and provide tools to improve overall health care practices.

The Future of Nursing

Nursing is without a doubt one of the most crucial professions in health care. As the World Health Organization reports that the world may be short 5.7 million nurses by 2030, it is hoped that nurses can potentially improve this outlook by taking advantage of the many prospective opportunities that may arise out of the shortage. Thankfully, organizations such as the AACN are working with schools, policy makers, nursing organizations, and the media to bring attention to and address the shortage.

The current nursing shortage is the largest and most complex yet. Ending it will require efforts that include recruiting a multitude of new nurses and acknowledging the needed improvement within hospitals, schools, and health care organizations worldwide.

Learn More About Advanced Care Hospitalists (ACH)

ACH is a Lakeland-based hospitalist group providing comprehensive patient care in community hospitals across Central Florida. Our providers are highly skilled, board-certified internal medicine specialists who are available around-the-clock to meet the care needs of patients from hospital admission through discharge. Post-discharge from the hospital, we continue overseeing patient care for 30 days.

We’ve found that continued care coordination ensures more accurate medication reconciliation, improved compliance with discharge plans, better scheduling of follow-up visits, and fewer hospital readmissions. Our providers do everything in their power to make sure our patients receive the compassionate and comprehensive care they need to promote healing and prevent a second hospital admission.

For more information about our services and our practice, please contact Advanced Care Hospitalists at 863-816-5884 or fill out a contact form online.

Resources

1. Rosseter, Robert. Fact Sheet: Nursing Shortage. American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 1-6. 2020. https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-information/fact-sheets/nursing-shortage#:~:text=Though%20AACN%20reported%20a%205.1,researchers%2C%20and%20primary%20care%20providers

The hospitalist profession has grown exponentially within the last 25 years – from just a few hundred physicians who practiced hospital medicine in the 1990s to upwards of 60,000 today. Hospitalists, once thought as shift workers, are now an essential part of hospital medicine, and are indispensable to the health care arena.

According to the American College of Rheumatology, internal medicine physicians from the 1930s to the 1990s did approximately 40 percent of their work at the hospital, seeing on average, about 12 patients a day. By 1996, physicians began seeing fewer patients in the hospital, and patients became frustrated when their provider was frequently late to appointments. It became more difficult for physicians to practice both in their primary office, and the hospital setting at the same time. To address this, the hospitalist profession was born. Now, two and a half decades later, this career choice is one of the fastest growing types of medical specialties.

Since its inception, hospitalist medicine has grown to include recognition in the following ways:

• American Board of Hospital Medicine
• Society of Hospital Medicine
• Board Certification
• Fellow on Hospital Medicine designation
• Annual National Hospitalist Day

For patients who question whether their hospitalist is as qualified as their PCP, it’s important to note that hospitalists are trained specifically to handle complex cases that arise in the hospital setting. Hospitalists lead large teams and are responsible for properly communicating with nurses, providers, technicians, physician and occupational therapists, pharmacists, and many other medical operations staff members. They are a part of an important community of health professionals and keep things running efficiently. A few years ago, an article in JAMA Internal Medicine expressed that patients cared for by their PCP had longer hospital stays and were more likely to be discharged home. However, they were less likely to die within 30 days, compared to patients cared for by hospitalists or other generalists.

The field of hospital medicine seems to be one that is always in demand, unsaturated, and is projected to grow for years to come in most every size hospital, especially larger metropolitan areas. Additionally, as our health care system adjusts to new realities amid and post-covid, it is expected that the need for hospitalists as well as other specialists in the areas of infectious disease, emergency medicine, and pulmonary and critical care will continue to rise.

According to The Hospitalist, of hospitals with more than 200 beds, hospitalists practice in more than 80% of them, and in nearly every area of specialty. Hospitalists are dedicated clinicians that must possess tenacity, flexibility, cordiality, and determination. According to the Society of Hospital Medicine, they must also be experts at managing day-to-day care and providing prompt and complete attention to all patient care needs including diagnosis, treatment, and the performance of medical procedures within their scope of practice. Hospitalists also regularly conduct research and take part in the improvement of hospital and health care organizational performance.

Just think of where we’d be today if we were still practicing the old way of hospital medicine. We would likely see extreme physician burnout, as well as decreased job satisfaction, and poorer patient outcomes. Luckily, we can be thankful to have dedicated specialists today that enhance comprehensive patient care.

From working in the emergency room to performing elective surgical procedures, hospitalists are connoisseurs when it comes to caring for and navigating illnesses, emergencies, and disorders.

Learn More About Advanced Care Hospitalists (ACH)

ACH is a Lakeland-based hospitalist group providing comprehensive patient care in community hospitals across Central Florida. Our providers are highly skilled, board-certified internal medicine specialists who are available around-the-clock to meet the care needs of patients from hospital admission through discharge. Post-discharge from the hospital, we continue overseeing patient care for 30 days.

We’ve found that continued care coordination ensures more accurate medication reconciliation, improved compliance with discharge plans, better scheduling of follow-up visits, and fewer hospital readmissions. Our providers do everything in their power to make sure our patients receive the compassionate and comprehensive care they need to promote healing and prevent a second hospital admission.

For more information about our services and our practice, please contact Advanced Care Hospitalists at 863-816-5884 or fill out a contact form online.

Patient outcomes often vary based on several factors. Environmental aspects, level of care, expectations, and communication all play an important role on both patient satisfaction and favorable outcomes. However, research also shows that a clinicians’ schedule may also impact outcomes as well. According to JAMA Internal Medicine, patients seen by hospitalists who worked fewer days had higher mortality, while patients treated by physicians with more days worked clinically exhibited lower mortality.

As hospitalists balance their schedules, spending more time in areas such as research, and giving attention to administrative and family obligations, the care of their patients may have more to do with their consistency at the bedside than originally realized. Since quality of care may in fact depend on time a hospitalist spends with a patient, working a more robust schedule could be highly beneficial. In the JAMA Internal Medicine study,

“a cross-sectional analysis was completed on a 20% random sample of Medicare beneficiaries 65 years and older who were admitted to the hospital with an emergency medical condition and treated by a hospitalist in 2011 through 2016. The associations between the number of days per year worked by hospitalists and the 30-day mortality rates among patients treated were examined, divided into quartiles of clinician days worked.” (1)

The results?

“The 30-day mortality was higher among patients treated by clinicians in the bottom quartile with the fewest number of days worked, compared with those treated by clinicians in the top quartile with the most days worked (10.5% vs. 9.6%). The rates were similar in the second and third quartiles (10.0% and 9.5%). The average number of days worked clinically per year was 57.6 in the lowest quartile versus 163.3 in the highest quartile, a 65% difference.” (2)

Researchers offered up several explanations as to why working fewer clinical days could be associated with higher patient mortality. One suggestion was that as hospitalists work fewer days, they are exposed to fewer guideline updates and less patient interaction. This inevitably could cause a decrease in skillset over time. While more research may be needed to entirely comprehend the full spectrum, it is clear from the above research that the more time a clinician spends with a patient, the better off they will likely be. And just because a hospitalist works part time, does not mean they will automatically have lower patient outcomes.

Understandably, there will be a wide range of hospitalists who will not follow conventional full time work schedules, and because of that, leadership should take extra measures to ensure outstanding consideration for satisfaction and favorable outcomes for both their staff and patients. Institutional support may be needed in the case of hospitalists spending reduced clinical time due to competing responsibilities. Types of assistance may include reduced caseloads, job sharing, and additional training opportunities.

Do you have a suggestion on how to increase patient outcomes with a limited work schedule, or an example of what worked for you in your organization? Share it with us! We’d love to hear from you!

Learn More About Advanced Care Hospitalists (ACH)

ACH is a Lakeland-based hospitalist group providing comprehensive patient care in community hospitals across Central Florida. Our providers are highly skilled, board-certified internal medicine specialists who are available around-the-clock to meet the care needs of patients from hospital admission through discharge. Post-discharge from the hospital, we continue overseeing patient care for 30 days.

We’ve found that continued care coordination ensures more accurate medication reconciliation, improved compliance with discharge plans, better scheduling of follow-up visits, and fewer hospital readmissions. Our providers do everything in their power to make sure our patients receive the compassionate and comprehensive care they need to promote healing and prevent a second hospital admission.

For more information about our services and our practice, please contact Advanced Care Hospitalists at 863-816-5884 or fill out a contact form online.

Resources

1. Goodwin JS. Outcomes of Care by Hospitalists: Do Their Schedules Matter? JAMA Intern Med. 2021;181(11):1469–1470. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2021.5246
2. Splete, Heidi. Fewer Inpatient Work Hours Linked with Worse Patient Outcomes. MDedge. 2021. https://www.mdedge.com/internalmedicine/article/246084/business-medicine/fewer-inpatient-work-hours-linked-worse-patient#:~:text=Overall%2C%20the%2030%2Dday%20mortality,9.6%25

It’s no doubt that residency is an important part of the medical journey to becoming a hospitalist. There is no replacement for the hands-on training a doctor will receive during their residency at a teaching hospital prior to obtaining their board certification. Most hospitalists complete a three-year residency and continue practicing as internists, and some receive board certification in other areas like pulmonology, intensive care medicine, and nephrology, to name a few. Although the undertaking of a residency program can be very rewarding, it can also be extremely arduous and overwhelming for a large percentage of doctors.

Several years ago, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a meta-analysis of the Prevalence of Depression and Depressive Symptoms Among Resident Physicians. According to the analysis,

“data was extracted from 31 cross-sectional studies (9447 individuals) and 23 longitudinal studies (8113 individuals). Three studies used clinical interviews and 51 used self-report instruments. The summary estimate of the prevalence of depression or depressive symptoms among resident physicians was 28.8%, ranging from 20.9% to 43.2% depending on the instrument used, and increased with each calendar year.” (1)

Examining these statistics can be alarming, especially for those looking to become a hospitalist. However, by actionably taking precautions, doctors can try to reduce the likelihood of experiencing depressive thoughts and feeling inundated during their residency.

Keep reading to learn more about the top three factors that can contribute to depression as a resident, and practical step to improve the outcome.

Work-life Balance

Working overnight shifts and upwards of 80 hours a week can take a major toll on even the most composed person. Being overworked can lead to sleep deprivation and impaired cognitive function. Additionally, by spending all waking hours working, it can be difficult to create and maintain healthy social relationships. This can lead to a sense of loneliness, and an even deeper depressive state. To help combat this, residents should talk to their program directors to try to work out a schedule that works. On days off, residents should spend away from their work environment, and find ways to rest their minds and bodies with activities such as yoga or meditation. It can also be helpful to find creative ways to sneak in naps, deep breathing exercises, and/or quiet time for reading, prayer, or listening to calming music throughout the workday.

Financial Burdens

A lot of doctors in a residency program have upwards $200,000 in student loan debt. This financial burden can place a lot of added stress on residents, making it hard to live within their means. Residents can help face their budgetary anxieties by creating a strategy that includes setting realistic goals for paying down debt and sticking to that plan no matter what. There are also professional organizations like the National Foundation for Credit Counseling that offer resources for free to individuals who need credit and student loan guidance.

Patient Suffering

For many, this will be the first time directly dealing with patient illnesses, and a lot of them. Residents may experience traumatization after facing situations involving serious complications and death among the patient population they are serving. Grief from constant loss can make it difficult to maintain a positive outlook. Because residents should be very careful not to internalize the anguish they may experience, they should seek help from external resources like grief support and counseling. Additionally, by attending virtual seminars or listening to podcasts on personal and mental wellness, they will realize they are not alone. Lastly, they should not be ashamed to bring these feelings up to their superiors. Having an open dialogue can lead to strong mentorship bonds that ultimately will help with healing.

Although residents can take many steps to decreasing their risk for developing depressive thoughts on the job, ultimately it is up to the organization to provide their staff with an environment that fosters creativity, open communication, and teamwork. By providing support, supplemental education opportunities, and positive feedback, residents are much more likely to succeed.

If you are in crisis or think you may have an emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. If you’re having suicidal thoughts, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to talk to a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area at any time (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline). If you are located outside the United States, call your local emergency line immediately.

Learn More About Advanced Care Hospitalists (ACH)

ACH is a Lakeland-based hospitalist group providing comprehensive patient care in community hospitals across Central Florida. Our providers are highly skilled, board-certified internal medicine specialists who are available around-the-clock to meet the care needs of patients from hospital admission through discharge. Post-discharge from the hospital, we continue overseeing patient care for 30 days.

We’ve found that continued care coordination ensures more accurate medication reconciliation, improved compliance with discharge plans, better scheduling of follow-up visits, and fewer hospital readmissions. Our providers do everything in their power to make sure our patients receive the compassionate and comprehensive care they need to promote healing and prevent a second hospital admission.

For more information about our services and our practice, please contact Advanced Care Hospitalists at 863-816-5884 or fill out a contact form online.

Resources

1. Mata DA, Ramos MA, Bansal N, Khan R, Guille C, Di Angelantonio E, Sen S. Prevalence of Depression and Depressive Symptoms Among Resident Physicians: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA. 2015 Dec 8;314(22):2373-83. doi: 10.1001/jama.2015.15845. PMID: 26647259; PMCID: PMC4866499.

Effective leadership is essential for optimal performance as a hospitalist or any other health care provider. Although exceptional leaders are necessary for frontline success, studies show the number of these types of individuals is dwindling due to demand versus population. This means the leaders currently in place in hospitals and health care organizations all over the globe have work to do through improvement and quality control.

Due to the nature of working in health care, leaders can face hurdles in their growth process. Because of unique challenges, rigorous workflows and hectic schedules, hospitalist executives can fall into the trap of feeling defenseless to the pressures surrounding them. When this happens, leaders can end up falling into a position of complacency and administrative oversight. There’s good news though; by taking steps to improve performance, work-life balance, and accountability, hospital and health care administrators can easily transition from an environment of lackluster leadership to remarkable authority.

Pay Attention to Performance

Leaders should set high performance expectations, hold annual reviews, and keep their team accountable for their productivity. Low-functioning leaders are those who have little knowledge of group performance and don’t analyze data that reflects areas needing improvement. Increasing performance and employee morale can include issuing satisfaction surveys and announcing and discussing the results via regular emails and newsletters as well as within team meetings. Once results are examined, a successful leader will recommend next steps and focus on ways to improve patient and employee satisfaction with the input from team members and colleagues. Effective leaders should also regularly recognize exceptional performance by communicating wins and achievements in public settings.

Don’t Settle

You can often tell the difference between a distinguished leader and one who is mediocre by the way they see themselves in their role. If an administrator doesn’t take their role seriously, they may miss out on opportunities for process improvement. Leaders should take every chance to join medical executive committees, attend leadership development courses, and take part in patient safety initiatives. In addition, by collaborating with other physicians and medical professionals, leaders can engage with other clinical departments and learn from their cohorts. When a leader takes a back-seat approach to their position, they won’t be seen as an authoritative and reliable figure. Luckily through multiple measures, as mentioned above, executives can differentiate themselves in a positive way.

Be a Key Decision Maker

Leaders should engage their teams in their decision-making process and should stand firm in whatever agreement they come to. By holding regularly scheduled team meetings with an engaging agenda, and focusing on problem-solving efforts, not only will leaders receive buy in from their team, but they will also feel confident in their final determinations. Additionally, leaders should stick to the same method of decision-making each time a new conclusion is to be made. Leaders can be seen as weak when they flip-flop back and forth instead of remaining consistent.

Encourage Others

Great leaders encourage others to be their absolute best. By providing support, humility, teamwork, and assistance with goal setting, team members will feel appreciated and respected. Fostering strengths and helping to improve weaknesses among the team is an absolute must for progress. A leader should also get to know their team and understand what drives them. By cultivating relationships, employees and colleagues will feel heard and valued.

Maintain a Positive Outlook

This is perhaps the most important leadership quality. By exhibiting a positive attitude even when things aren’t going exactly as expected, leaders can help their team remain positive no matter the circumstance. By displaying a negative attitude, team members are likely to develop low morale and become unmotivated. Instead of looking at a situation as something terrible, leaders should try to find ways to break down larger challenges into smaller, more manageable ones, and confront them one at a time with an optimistic outlook.

At the end of the day, leaders should recognize that they are in their position for a specific reason. By consistently looking for ways to improve, leaders can make a huge impact in the lives of not only their team, but colleagues, and patients as well.

Learn More About Advanced Care Hospitalists (ACH)

ACH is a Lakeland-based hospitalist group providing comprehensive patient care in community hospitals across Central Florida. Our providers are highly skilled, board-certified internal medicine specialists who are available around-the-clock to meet the care needs of patients from hospital admission through discharge. Post-discharge from the hospital, we continue overseeing patient care for 30 days.

We’ve found that continued care coordination ensures more accurate medication reconciliation, improved compliance with discharge plans, better scheduling of follow-up visits, and fewer hospital readmissions. Our providers do everything in their power to make sure our patients receive the compassionate and comprehensive care they need to promote healing and prevent a second hospital admission.

For more information about our services and our practice, please contact Advanced Care Hospitalists at 863-816-5884 or fill out a contact form online.

Women hospitalists often juggle a lot – between their career, raising children, and playing a vital role within their family, finding the proper work-life balance can be a challenge. Add in a pandemic, school closures and impromptu homeschooling, changes in health care protocol, layoffs, and other challenges, and it is easy to see just how difficult the last year and a half has been – especially for women in the workplace. For hospitalists, things only sped up. As essential workers, finding time to pursue anything outside of work has been overwhelming during the coronavirus crisis. Many female hospitalists were given new responsibilities and leadership roles during the pandemic. Luckily, many meetings became virtual, so despite the rise in many other challenges, there seemed to be a little reprieve in that area.

According to Today’s Hospitalist, a large percentage of female hospitalists say that although the last several months have been difficult, their sense of purpose and direction has improved greatly. And although it has been tiring, weathering the storm has ultimately made them stronger.

With added stressors at home due to childcare needs and even spousal unemployment, many female hospitalists have had to rearrange their schedules to accommodate for their circumstances along with their energy levels. A Medscape survey this year found that 51% of women physicians reported being burned out, compared to 37% of men. In an effort to to avoid burnout, female hospitalists have utilized resources available to them such as taking virtual meetings at home, working nocturnist shifts to spend more time with their families during the day, and opting for virtual conferences and grand rounds instead of spending extra time at the hospital. A few positives that have come from this are that many female hospitalists are utilizing the time they would have spent commuting instead on research and medical investigation.

However, many challenges remain. Physical demand, wearing PPE for the entire duration of a shift (every shift), anxiety, fear of bringing infection back to family members and other patients, prioritizing care, and coping with the emotional discouragement of caring for so many suffering patients with poor outcomes. And for those who take on the responsibility of primary caregiver at home, female hospitalists have been overloaded more than ever.

Much remains to be known regarding COVID-19 and how it truly affected and continues to affect women health care workers and hospitalists. However it pans out in the end, one thing is for certain: supporting and protecting our valued female hospitalists and health care workers during this critical time is of utmost importance.

Learn More About Advanced Care Hospitalists (ACH)

ACH is a Lakeland-based hospitalist group providing comprehensive patient care in community hospitals across Central Florida. Our providers are highly skilled, board-certified internal medicine specialists who are available around-the-clock to meet the care needs of patients from hospital admission through discharge. Post-discharge from the hospital, we continue overseeing patient care for 30 days.

We’ve found that continued care coordination ensures more accurate medication reconciliation, improved compliance with discharge plans, better scheduling of follow-up visits, and fewer hospital readmissions. Our providers do everything in their power to make sure our patients receive the compassionate and comprehensive care they need to promote healing and prevent a second hospital admission.

For more information about our services and our practice, please contact Advanced Care Hospitalists at 863-816-5884 or fill out a contact form online.

As we explained in a blog post last year, a hospitalist is a physician who works full time in a hospital and specializes in providing care and treatment for hospitalized patients. Hospitalists function as a temporary PCP to oversee and manage comprehensive care plans. Hospitalists also perform around-the-clock examinations, monitoring and treatment management services for patients from the time of admission to the time of discharge.

While pediatric hospitalists perform many of the same duties, it’s important to note that pediatric hospital medicine is in fact different from traditional hospital medicine. Pediatrics is a medical subspecialty dedicated to the treatment of hospitalized pediatric patients by pediatric hospitalists. Because of this, inpatient pediatric care can be a bit different than traditional adult inpatient care.

Having a pediatric hospitalist program in place can offer respite to parents. By not having to travel to receive proper care for their child(ren), parents can have better peace of mind. Children can also stay within their own community to receive care, rather than having to go outside city limits.

Pediatric hospitalists perform many of the same duties as traditional hospitalists, but instead work primarily in pediatric wards, labor and delivery units, emergency departments, neonatal intensive care units, and the pediatric intensive care units. Pediatric hospitalists work with a child’s regular pediatrician and other physicians and providers involved in a child’s care. The pediatric hospitalist also updates the child’s pediatrician and gives them an overview of a child’s hospital stay and detailed instructions for any necessary further care upon discharge.

Typically, pediatric hospitalists are medical doctors who have had at least four years of medical school and three years of pediatric residency training. Board certification for pediatric hospitalists is through the American Board of Pediatrics. Pediatric hospitalists care for child patients in the hospital with a variety of medical needs including but not limited to:

• Infectious disease
• Surgery and recovery
• Palliative care
• Neurology
• Respiratory illnesses such as croup, pneumonia, etc.
• Common ailments such as the flu, strep throat, dehydration, and more.
• Newborn care
• Chronic illnesses such as asthma, diabetes, kidney disease, and more.

Because children don’t always have the best communication techniques, it may be harder to understand why they feel a certain way. They also cannot be expected to answer medical questions or provide medical history like an adult, so it’s important to remain understanding and even-tempered as a provider, and work with the patient’s parents to obtain any necessary information.

Like a traditional hospitalist, children will receive effective, high-quality care and treatment under a pediatric hospitalist.

Pediatric hospitalists normally:

• Are available for 24/7 communication and assistance while on the job.
• Provide a comprehensive plan of action including treatment recommendations and progress.
• Accelerate the process of getting diagnostic test results and placing orders for medications and treatments.
• Is on hand to monitor progress and make treatment adjustments as needed.
• Is immediately available if an emergency occurs.
• Communicates with a child’s PCP and provides updates on the child’s condition.
• Upon discharge, coordinates follow-up care, treatments, and medications with the child’s PCP.

Perhaps the most important role a pediatric hospitalist plays is the role of improving a child’s experience and outcomes during a hospitalization.

If you have any questions or would like to find a pediatric specialist in your area, click here or call us today.

Learn More About Advanced Care Hospitalists (ACH)

ACH is a Lakeland-based hospitalist group providing comprehensive patient care in community hospitals across Central Florida. Our providers are highly skilled, board-certified internal medicine specialists who are available around-the-clock to meet the care needs of patients from hospital admission through discharge. Post-discharge from the hospital, we continue overseeing patient care for 30 days.

We’ve found that continued care coordination ensures more accurate medication reconciliation, improved compliance with discharge plans, better scheduling of follow-up visits, and fewer hospital readmissions. Our providers do everything in their power to make sure our patients receive the compassionate and comprehensive care they need to promote healing and prevent a second hospital admission.

For more information about our services and our practice, please contact Advanced Care Hospitalists at 863-816-5884 or fill out a contact form online.

As a hospitalist launches their career, it can be an exciting, yet challenging time. Requirements of the job consist of exceeding a demanding schedule, moving at a fast pace, and facing pressures when it comes to clinical duties and patient outcomes. The transition from residency to a first-year hospitalist can not only be overwhelming, but tiresome. To facilitate a successful progression into the career, a few things should be considered.

So as not to struggle and experience extreme fatigue or burnout in their first year, hospitalists should try adhering to the following:

Limit extracurricular activities.

Especially during the first year as a hospitalist, it’s important not to spread yourself too thin. Focusing on the workload at hand and your new roles and responsibilities will often be enough to keep you more than occupied and in a state of continuous learning. Save the extracurricular activities for your second or even third year, when you have had a chance to learn how to effectively juggle your schedule, capacity, and personal life.

Keep expectations to a minimum.

When you begin your career as a hospitalist, it may be easy to get ahead of yourself by making unrealistic expectations in the workforce. By not putting too much on your plate at once and taking your job day by day instead of planning too far into the future, you can take active measures to limit your stress levels.

Pair up with a trusted mentor.

It’s important to develop a relationship with an experienced hospitalist who has been in your shoes before. By setting aside time regularly to communicate with your mentor, you will likely receive quality advice and direction. A mentor can help you when you are experiencing exhaustion or if you have questions on next steps – whether regarding the care plan of a patient or asking for a second opinion.

Know your limits.

Sometimes first-year hospitalists can overwork themselves to get experience under their belts. Overextending can lead to careless mistakes, fatigue, and issues with patient safety. It’s important to know what your limits are, so you can make the appropriate decisions on whether to take on more work, or halt where you are.

Ask for outside feedback.

It’s important to seek guidance and advice from reliable sources even outside of your mentor. Before deploying major care plans, first-year hospitalists should double-check their plan of action with their colleagues. Some may see this as a lack of confidence, but in fact, it is just the opposite. Putting aside your pride and looking to someone wiser than you can show humility and growth. By consistently seeking sensible counsel from others in your field, you are likely to gain helpful insight that will likely help you in your career as a hospitalist.

Expect to be autonomous.

If you are not used to working independently, then you may have a harder time adjusting in your first year as a hospitalist. Before starting your career as a hospitalist, it may be beneficial to take a course or two on leadership and problem solving. This will not only help with your transition into the field but will help with overall satisfaction and encouragement throughout your journey.

Consider working larger scale.

As a first-year hospitalist, it’s important to have a good support system in place. By choosing to start out working for a larger health organization you are likely to be working alongside multiple hospitalists, and in turn, will have access to a diverse group of specialists to bounce ideas and questions off of.

Take time away.

If you want to be your best, you must make a conscious effort to block time off on your calendar to spend away from the hospital. Although it may be more challenging during your first year to take vacation, you must make it a priority to spend even a few long weekends unplugged to recharge.

At the end of the day, one of the most important things to remember is why you chose the profession. Your passion will be the driver of your stamina and outlook, so try not to forget how and why you arrived here in the first place, even if your work life becomes overwhelming as a first year hospitalist and beyond.

Contact Advanced Care Hospitalists to Learn More

ACH is a Lakeland-based hospitalist group providing comprehensive patient care in community hospitals across Central Florida. If you are interested in learning more about our programs, services, providers or becoming a partner facility, please call us at 863-816-5884 or fill out a contact form online.