BACKGROUND: In recent years, workload for a doctor has been increasing, because hospital managers are trying to improve the efficiency of management. As a result, many doctors are expected to work harder. We studied how anesthesiologists are stressed by their work, especially on working overnight, using the Profile of Mood States(POMS). METHODS: Thirty six anesthesiologists working in our hospital are studied. We asked them to answer POMS questionnaires three times at 8:00 before overnight work, 8:00 and 17:00 the following day. RESULTS: Mean working time for overnight job is 32 +/- 4.3 hours and mean sleeping time is 3.0 +/- 1.3 hours (mean +/- SD). The Profile of Mood States has six subscores (depression, fatigue, vigor, confusion, tension/anxiety, and anger). After working overnight, fatigue and confusion scores were significantly increased and vigor scores were significantly decreased, compared with the sores at 8.00 before overnight work. CONCLUSIONS: We studied anesthesiologist's stress of working overnight, using the Profile of Mood States. As a result, after overnight work, fatigue, confusion and vigor scores were significantly exacerbated. We speculate that the anesthesiologists are building up so much stress when they work overnight as on call.
BACKGROUND: In recent years, workload for a doctor has been increasing, because hospital managers are trying to improve the efficiency of management. As a result, many doctors are expected to work harder. We studied how anesthesiologists are stressed by their work, especially on working overnight, using the Profile of Mood States(POMS). METHODS: Thirty six anesthesiologists working in our hospital are studied. We asked them to answer POMS questionnaires three times at 8:00 before overnight work, 8:00 and 17:00 the following day. RESULTS: Mean working time for overnight job is 32 +/- 4.3 hours and mean sleeping time is 3.0 +/- 1.3 hours (mean +/- SD). The Profile of Mood States has six subscores (depression, fatigue, vigor, confusion, tension/anxiety, and anger). After working overnight, fatigue and confusion scores were significantly increased and vigor scores were significantly decreased, compared with the sores at 8.00 before overnight work. CONCLUSIONS: We studied anesthesiologist's stress of working overnight, using the Profile of Mood States. As a result, after overnight work, fatigue, confusion and vigor scores were significantly exacerbated. We speculate that the anesthesiologists are building up so much stress when they work overnight as on call.