Making Sense of Fatigue: Implications of Social Constructs of Fatigue in Clinical Training and Practice

Introduction: Fatigue management is an enticing concept, even within the context of existing resident duty hour restrictions around the world. In Canada, where resident duty hours are not nationally legislated, fatigue risk management strategies (FRMS) have been proposed as an alternative to reduced hours. FRMS that exist in other industries predominantly approach fatigue as a physiological or cognitive construct. It is unclear whether or not the 2 constructs sufficiently capture residents' lived experiences of fatigue during training. Prior to implementing FRMS, we require a better understanding of how residents make sense of fatigue within their clinical training environment.