Rest during shift work in the emergency department

The aim of this study was to pilot a program to encourage shift breaks for emergency department doctors and analyse the effects of breaks on tiredness and fatigue as well as possible effects on overall departmental performance. During Phase 1, medical staff were asked to fill out a survey regarding their working day at the end of every shift. A 30-minute uninterrupted break was promoted during Phase 2 by provision of a cover doctor on the roster as well as educational sessions and posters. There were 233 completed surveys received over the 4-week period. Only 33% of shifts worked included an uninterrupted break in Phase 1, which improved significantly to 60% during Phase 2. Subjective tiredness was significantly lower at the end of a shift when a break was taken (P<0.001), while fatigue levels were also lower, but not significant (P=0.060). There were significant improvements in some key performance indicators.