Andrés Santana, specialist in Occupational Medicine, and Miguel Martín, president of the Basque Society of Occupational Medicine (SVMT)
“There are groups with work shifts that involve many hours in a row in their position, but none are equal to 24-hour medical guards.” This is what he says Andres Santanaspecialist in Occupational Medicine Gregorio Maranon Hospitalwhich indicates that these guards “they carry both biological and occupational risks” in health professionals.
Santana highlights “the night” as one of the main factors encompassed in the psychosocial risks suffered by not only doctors, but any group with this type of shifts, such as “truck drivers, firefighters, police or air traffic controllers”. “The extension of these types of days in a timely manner has no impact on health, but doing it continuously does,” admits Santana to Medical Writingstating that “stress” is one of the most important consequences.
“There is scientific evidence about nocturnality and its negative consequences in worker health”, adds the doctor, pointing out that “it is essential to try to reduce night shifts in any profession”.
As for the 24 hour medical guards, Santana affirms that “they are maintained by tradition and because a rule that allows it continues to exist in Spain”. “It must be updated and, in addition, prevention plans must be carried out to reduce the psychosocial risks mentioned above,” he affirms to this newspaper. Among those plans are the following: improve the working conditions of health professionals and implement wellness programs.
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Andrés Santana: “We have to make plans |
“Improving working conditions through a lower workload and with the payment of working hours,” says Santana, while the second, welfare programs, “more linked to the mental health of the worker, will be promoted through positive psychology”.
However, as the doctor admits to this newspaper, “the transition towards the change of guards from 24 hours to shifts, has many controversies”. “They are paid and there are professionals who prefer to do them for that reason, and in this situation, not much more can be done.”
Night shift or pathologies: risks of long shifts
In addition, Miguel Martin Zurimendipresident of the Basque Society of Occupational Medicine (SVMT)states that “for certain long shifts, be it one group or another, there is no possible adaptation”. “Promote more short shifts it is the only possible way to reduce certain negative effects”, he explains.
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Miguel Martín: “People with pathologies |
In addition, Zurimendi affirms that there is a part of the population that should be excluded from performing this type of tunos. “People with pathologies, one of the most common sleep related or those subject to medication”, he admits, since his pathologies can cause “unpremeditated damage to third parties”.
However, with regard to nighttime, the president of the SVMT affirms that there is indeed a distinction between hospital setting and other groups. “In some sectors they prefer this shift because there is less presence of bosses, less pressure or fewer interruptions,” he explains, “something that clarifies that in emergency health professionals it is different.”
Although it may contain statements, data or notes from health institutions or professionals, the information contained in Medical Writing is edited and prepared by journalists. We recommend the reader that any questions related to health be consulted with a health professional.