About 60% of physician assistants reported feeling burned out this year, according to Medscape's "Physician Assistant Burnout Report," published Oct. 6. An additional 29% reported feeling depressed, while 24% felt both burnt out and depressed.
Here are six additional things to know about PA burnout:
1. When asked to rank their burnout on a scale of one to five, 39% rated it at a three, while 22% rated it at a four and 16% rated it at a five.
2. A plurality of PAs (39%) have felt burnt out for one to two years.
3. The majority of PAs (52%) feel more burnt out now than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic.
4. The top cause of PA burnout is too many bureaucratic tasks, including charting and paperwork.
5. The majority of PAs (72%) believe that burnout has negatively impacted their personal relationships.
6. The top coping mechanisms PAs use to deal with burnout include sleep, exercise and self isolation.