Avoiding burnout in new doctors: sleep, supervision and teams.

BURNOUT IN NEW DOCTORS Being a new doctor is stressful. Dealing with people who are ill, dying or bereaved is upsetting enough; the feeling that you could make a mistake that could cost someone their life can be overwhelming. It is not surprising that many researchers have found psychological morbidity and burnout to be common among new doctors. Some personality types are more vulnerable than others and some working conditions are stressful even for the most robust. A report in this edition of PMJ found burnout in a shocking 42/55 (76%) of residents studied toward the end of their first year. Burnout was associated with on-call duties, heavy workload and fatigue. Those with burnout were more likely to report making errors. As others have shown, by the end of the first year, excitement and anxiety have too often given way to fatigue and apathy. New doctors need to be supported throughout this important transitional year. There is ample evidence about how to do this effectively, through ensuring adequate time for sleep, providing supervision appropriate for the experience of the learner, and making sure that, at all times, he or she is part of a well-functioning team.