Attitudes and Beliefs of Clinical Practicing Physician Assistants Regarding Work-Related Burnout: A Pilot Study.

Objective: Understanding the attitudes and beliefs of clinical practicing physician assistants (PAs) regarding work-related burnout and an assessment of resource availability and satisfaction.

Methods: A 38-item online survey was sent to accredited PA programs to solicit distribution among their alumni.

Results: There were 164 respondents. Most respondents were familiar with the concept of work-related burnout, with 85% identifying with experiencing burnout and 80% believing it is an expected occurrence in the medical profession. Thirty-four percent reported their organization had made accommodations when contributing factors were identified. Sixteen percent reported that their employer had established a meaningful platform to discuss the topic of work-related burnout. Thirty-one percent were satisfied with the resources to address work-related burnout.

Conclusions: Respondents believed the effects of burnout could be alleviated via employer/organization and personal efforts. An analysis of resource availability revealed a disparity and suggests a joint effort approach may not currently or uniformly exist in the workplace.