The Nurse–Physician Liaison: How a New Position Can Reduce House Staff Workload

Time and money are limited commodities in any health care system. The American College of Graduate Education (ACGME) limits the number of hours that internal medicine residents can work in the hospital to a maximum average of 80 hours per week.¹ Proposed ACGME changes, anticipated to take effect July 1, 2011, will further limit work hours, and academic VA medical centers throughout the country must adapt to these changes to maintain ACGME accreditation. Because work hour restrictions place increasing limits on the number of hours trainees (house staff) spend in the hospital, further limitations will present a significant hurdle in maintaining continuity of care and achieving efficient patient flow in the hospital setting.