Resident Life
Work Hours
Limitation of Housestaff Working Hours
New York State law requires limitation of working hours for all housestaff in the following ways:
- No more than 12 consecutive hours in direct patient care activities when assigned to the Emergency Department.
- No more than 24 consecutive hours in direct patient care activities when assigned to inpatient units.
- No more than 80 work hours per week, averaged over each 4-week period.
- 24 duty-free hours during each work week.
This schedule has improved the quality of patient care and of house officer education, and has appreciably reduced the stress associated with residency training.
