As a nocturnist, you are a physician who practices hospital medicine during the night shift. To earn your qualifications for a career as a nocturnist, you need to have a medical degree and you need to complete a residency that exposes you to different medical specialties. Based on your skills and preferences, you may work in the emergency room, the intensive care unit (ICU), or the pediatric ward. Your job duties are to examine inpatients who are staying in the hospital overnight, admit patients to the hospital for care, and handle other responsibilities, like overseeing nurses and medical residents.