Stepping Into the Night: The Preparedness of Newly Qualified Doctors for Out-of-Hours Work.

Background: The transition from medical student to doctor is a significantly stressful event with a perceived lack of preparedness. A comprehensive exploration of the facilitators and barriers to preparedness for out-of-hours specifically, such as night duty, is lacking. This study aims to investigate the perspectives of newly qualified Irish doctors (interns) regarding their readiness for out-of-hours work, the levels of support available and the influence of their medical education on readiness.