PA job satisfaction and career plans

Abstract

Objective: To understand the relationships between burnout, job satisfaction, and career plans among physician assistants in the United States.

Methods: The authors surveyed PAs in 2016. The survey included the Maslach Burnout Inventory and items on job satisfaction and career plans.

Results: Overall 82.7% of PAs were satisfied with their job, 32.2% indicated intent to leave their current position, and 19.5% reported intent to reduce work hours. On multivariate analysis, burnout increased the odds of job dissatisfaction, intent to reduce work hours within the next year, and intent to leave the current practice in the next 2 years.

Conclusions: About a third of PAs indicated intent to leave their current practice and one in five indicated intent to reduce their clinical hours. Burnout was an independent predictor of job satisfaction and career plans.