Abstract
[This is an excerpt.] Many current neonatologist staffing models do not support the needs of the evolving neonatology workforce, administrative obligations, and patient population. Decades ago, NICU coverage involved daily rounds by a neonatologist followed by night coverage using a home-call model [1]. Due to increasing patient volume and acuity, adequate NICU coverage now often requires 24-hour in-house neonatologists [2] in both private practice and academic settings. Since the same neonatologist may round before and after an overnight shift, shifts may last up to 36 h [3]. Weekends have always been expected, but are now compounded by frequency, in-hospital requirements, weekend conferences, and not balanced by commensurate days off. Meanwhile, expectations of academic productivity, teaching, quality improvement work, and administrative obligations are unchanged or increased, and must be done during increasingly scarce “non-clinical” time. [To read more, click View Resource.]
