Laparoscopic Skills Suffer on The First Shift of Sequential Night Shifts: Program Directors Beware and Residents Prepare

Abstract

Newly acquired technical surgical skills deteriorate maximally after the first night shift, emphasizing the importance of adequate preparation for night rotas. Performance improvements across successive shifts may be due to ongoing learning or adaptation to chronic fatigue. Further research should focus on assessments of both technical procedural skills and cognitive abilities to determine the rotas that best minimize errors and maximize patient safety.