BACKGROUNDNo international data are available on the night working conditions and workload of anaesthesiologists and their opinions about associated risks.OBJECTIVEThe aim of this international survey was to describe the peri-operative night working conditions of anaesthesiologists and their perception of the impact these conditions have on patient outcomes and their own quality of life.DESIGNCross-sectional survey.SETTINGNot applicable.PARTICIPANTSAnaesthesiologists providing peri-operative care during night shifts responded to an online survey promoted by the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC).INTERVENTIONSNone.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURETwenty-eight closed questions.RESULTSOverall 5292 complete responses were analysed. Of these, 920 were from trainees. The median reported monthly number of night shifts was 4 [IQR 3–6]. An irregular weekly night shift schedule was most common (51%). Almost all the respondents (98%) declared that their centres have no relevant institutional programmes to monitor stress or fatigue. Most respondents (90%) had received no training or information regarding performance improvement methods for night work. Most respondents were of the opinion that sleep deprivation affects their professional performance (71%) and that their fatigue during night work may increase the peri-operative risk for their patients (74%). Furthermore, 81% of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that night work represents an additional risk per se for patient safety, and 77% stated that their night work affects the quality of their daily life significantly or extremely.CONCLUSIONAnaesthesiologists commonly perform perioperative night work without appropriate training, education or support on this specific condition. They perceive current practice as adversely affecting their professional performance and the safety of their patients. They also report significant effects on their own quality of life. Adequate training and education for night work may ally some of these concerns and programmes to monitor workers’ stress and fatigue should be mandated to assess whether these concerns are justified.TRIAL REGISTRATIONNot applicable.

BACKGROUND There is a growing awareness of the effects of fatigue on trainee wellbeing and health. Trainees in anaesthesiology and intensive care work long hours, switching work schedules frequently with insufficient rest. This may have unwanted long-term effects on mental and physical health and emotional well being, resulting in burnout and affecting patient safety. OBJECTIVE The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence, severity, causes and effects of work-related fatigue in trainees in anaesthesiology and intensive care. DESIGN Online survey of trainees in anaesthesiology and intensive care. SETTINGS A total of 31 countries within Europe were included in the survey. PARTICIPANTS European anaesthesiology and intensive care trainees who responded to an invitation to take part by electronic mail or through social media. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Responses from a 29-item online survey to assess the realities within European countries with regards to work-related fatigue. RESULTS One thousand and two hundred trainees from 31 European countries answered the survey demonstrating that an alarming number of trainees were fatigued by their working patterns and night shifts. Trainees reported effects on personal well being, safe commuting and potential for clinical errors. Respondents described a lack of support from hospitals and management for recovery during and after night shifts. CONCLUSION Fatigue among trainees in anaesthesiology and intensive care has a significant impact on their well being and potentially, on the incidence of clinical errors. Current measures from authorities and hospital management are not sufficient to prevent serious fatigue, and therefore a fatigue risk management system should be considered. Failure to address this issue might lead to a further decline in trainees’ wellbeing, their capacity to work in the speciality in the future, and potentially increase patient care errors.