Hospitals hire 'nocturnists' to improve patient care during night, weekend hours, Wall Street Journal reports

The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday examined how some hospitals have begun "taking steps to improve safety and reduce their own legal liability from mishaps" that occur during "thinly staffed" night and weekend shifts, when patients "suffer higher rates of death, complications and medical errors."

Some hospitals have hired nocturnists, a subset of the group of physicians called hospitalists -- who work as full-time staff physicians and do not have their own practices -- to work night shifts. In 2007, about 1,200 hospitals had either a nocturnist or a hospitalist who shared night shifts, compared with about 700 in 2003, according to the Society of Hospital Medicine.

Nocturnists currently account for only 6% of all hospitalists nationwide, but demand for such physicians continues to increase. Some hospitals offer higher salaries and shorter work hours to attract nocturnists. Larry Wellikson, CEO of the society, said that younger physicians who do not have children or are not interested in the daytime responsibilities, such as committee meetings, are most likely to accept positions as nocturnists (Landro, Wall Street Journal, 5/28).