Pediatric hospitalists: training, current practice, and career goals.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the range and frequency of experiences, clinical and nonclinical roles, training, work expectations, and career plans of practicing pediatric hospitalists.


METHODS
Mail survey study of a national sample of 530 pediatric hospitalists of whom 67% (N = 338) were from teaching hospitals, 71% (N = 374) were from children's hospitals, 43% (N = 230) were from freestanding children's hospitals, and 69% (N = 354) were from hospitals with >or=250 beds.


RESULTS
The response rate was 84%. The majority (54%; N = 211) had been practicing as hospitalists for at least 3 years. Most reported that the pediatric inpatient unit (94%) and inpatient consultation service (51%) were a part of their regular clinical assignment. Most did not provide service in the normal newborn nursery (58%), subspecialty inpatient service (52%), transports (85%), outpatient clinics (66%), or as part of an emergency response team (53%). Many participated in quality improvement (QI) initiatives (84%) and practice guideline development (81%).


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides the most comprehensive information available regarding the clinical and nonclinical roles, training, work expectations, and career plans of pediatric hospitalists. However, the field is currently a moving target; there is significant flux in the hospitalist workforce and variation in the roles of these professionals in their clinical and nonclinical work environment.
Freed
Gary L
GL
Child Health Evaluation and Research (CHEAR) Unit, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-0456, USA. gfreed@med.umich.edu
Dunham
Kelly M
KM
D000328:Adult; D002322:Career Mobility; D003625:Data Collection; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D020445:Hospitalists / Q000193:education*; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States