Physician assistant vocational satisfaction.

Area of Science:

• Medical Professionalism
• Healthcare Workforce Studies
• Physician Assistant Studies

Background:

• Physician assistants (PAs) consistently report high job satisfaction.
• However, the specific factors contributing to this satisfaction remain underexplored.
• Understanding these factors is crucial for retaining PAs in the workforce.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the specific factors that physician assistants (PAs) perceive as contributing to their vocational satisfaction.
• To identify elements of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction among PAs.
• To provide data that can inform professional policy and organizational management for PAs.

Main Methods:

• A survey was mailed to 2,323 randomly selected physician assistants (PAs) from the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) mailing list.
• A response rate of 50% was achieved.
• Qualitative data analysis was employed to identify factors of satisfaction and dissatisfaction.

Main Results:

• Physician assistants (PAs) expressed high levels of satisfaction with their careers, specialty choices, and overall jobs.
• Twenty-one distinct factors contributing to vocational satisfaction were identified.
• Twenty-nine factors associated with vocational dissatisfaction were also identified.

Conclusions:

• The study confirms high vocational satisfaction among physician assistants (PAs).
• Identified factors of satisfaction and dissatisfaction can guide the development of professional policies for PAs.
• These findings can assist employers in making informed organizational and management decisions to enhance PA work environments.