PA Burnout
One of the ways to protect against burnout is to make sure you’re focusing on your well-being. Well-being is defined as the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy. The ability to manage stress and find meaning and purpose in work and life affects mental health, life satisfaction, and overall well-being. There are five main types of well-being: emotional, physical, social, workplace, and societal. Protect against burnout by ensuring your emotional, physical, social, workplace, and societal well-being. At AAPA, we’re here to support your PA well-being and fight PA burnout with these resources.
Keep up to date with the latest news and research on burnout and well-being in healthcare professions. Read what PAs and other organizations are doing to ensure clinician well-being. Learn about risk factors that clinicians may face.
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Interested in learning more about burnout and well-being? Here is all the related CME AAPA has to offer in Learning Central. In addition, the AAPA Joint Task Force on Burnout has provided new information and materials, including factsheets and the Burnout Webinar Series. Finally, read a curated collection on burnout and well-being in clinicians.
CME/Learning Central
- Burnout: It’s Not Just Physicians
- Joint Task Force on Burnout: Burnout Webinar Series
- Empathetics: The Introduction to the Neuroscience and Practice of Empathy
- ENT for the PA-C 2019: From Burnout to Well-Being: Awareness, Accountability, and Action
- ENT for the PA-C 2019 Bundle (including the CME above)
- Feel the Burn?
- Serious Illness Management Toolkit: Being Gumby: Avoiding Provider Burnout by Building Resiliance
- Serious Illness: Management Toolkit Self-Assessment CME
Factsheets
- Joint Task Force on Burnout: Well-Being Fact Sheet
- Joint Task Force on Burnout: Moral Distress Fact Sheet
- Joint Task Force on Burnout: Burnout Fact Sheet
Research Articles
- Burnout and Job Satisfaction in the Physician Assistant Profession: A Review of the Literature
- Burnout, Job Satisfaction, and Stress Levels of PAs
- Read about research published by others outside of AAPA staff here
Webinars/podcasts
AAPA supports the awareness and recognition of burnout in all clinicians. In 2018, AAPA adopted an official policy on burnout that states this and also encourages providers to actively engage in strategies to avoid professional burnout. (HP-3900.14)
Blueprint
Letter of commitment to NAM
Task Force Charges
- In 2019, the House of Delegates and the AAPA Board of directors formed a joint work group between the House and Board. The charges are located here.
This curated list of external resources range from resource collections available on other websites, to resources to help PAs address burnout, to talks that may be of interest or help. In addition, the tools in the Assess Yourself section can help PAs find their personal strengths and weaknesses in combating burnout. If you find that you are at risk, or experience discomfort when taking these assessments, please seek professional help or reach out to the national crisis hotline.
AAPA not responsible for the content on these websites
Crisis Hotlines and Support
- The Emotional PPE Project
- Magellan Health’s Helpline for Healthcare Workers
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
- SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline
Learn more about well-being and burnout.
- National Academy of Medicine Action Collaboration on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience
- American Medical Association Burnout and Well-Being
- National Institutes of Health Social Wellness Toolkit
- American Psychiatric Association Well-Being Resources
- Wisconsin Initiative for Stigma Elimination Advancing Adult Compassion Resiliance Toolkit
- TED Talks for when you feel totally burned out
- Harvard University David S. Rosenthal Center for Wellness and Health Promotion & Meditation
Assess yourself.
- Healthcare Provider Burnout (UNC Services Library)
- Anxiety Screen (Mental Health America)
- Depression Screen (Mental Health America)
- PTSD Screen (Mental Health America)
- Stress Screen (Mental Health America)
- Work-Health Survey (Mental Health America)
- Addiction Screen (Mental Health America)
- Alcohol Use Screen (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
- Well-Being Index (MedEd Web Solution/Mayo Clinic)
- Happiness (University of Pennsylvania: Authentic Happiness)
- Mindfulness (UC Berkley Greater Good Science Center)
- Epworth Sleepiness Scale (Harvard University, Department of Sleep Medicines)
Additional Resources
Student Resources
PA Program Prioritizes Student Mental Health
PA School Success: Embrace Opportunities and Challenges, Relieve Stress
Crisis Hotlines
Do you need to talk or want someone to listen? These times may be overwhelming for a lot of reasons.
Crisis Hotlines
Magellan Health’s Helpline for Healthcare Workers | 1-800-327-7451
Staffed by certified licensed mental health clinicians, this 24-hour crisis line is for first responders and healthcare workers on the front lines of COVID-19.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline | 1-800-273-8255 | 1-800-799-4889 (Deaf and hard of hearing)
Provides free and confidential support for people in distress as well as best practices for professionals.
SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline | 1-800-985-5990
Provides 24/7, 365-day-a-year crisis counseling and support to people experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters.