Professional activity of fellows in French pediatric intensive care units. North American fellowship programs: a comparative study

The study of fellows professional activity in French pediatric intensive care units monitors: their workload, their distribution between bedside care and academic activities, their scientific papers production and at knowing perceptual impact their workload had on their professional and personal lives. The 2000 survey according to all 31 fellows of these units obtained a response rate of 94%. Fellows of these units reported spending an average of 76 hours in the hospital per week. The bedside care took up 80% of their total professional activity. Impact of the workload was perceived as negative on themselves, on patient, their parents, on the care team. Fellows suggested a larger time needed to be dedicated to research, the support of a research mentor and the increase of medical staff, to favor their academic activity and improve unit functioning. The workload reported seemed to affect the patient bedside care and diminished the implication of the fellows of French pediatric intensive care unit for the research activity. An increase of medical staff, a protected time for research would contribute to balancing professional activity of these medical doctors and would maintain the objective of training good clinicians.