Open AccessA Qualitative Examination of Burnout Experienced by Physician Assistant Students
Author(s) -
Aimee K. Johnson,
Sarah Blackstone,
Whitney Simmons,
Ashley Skelly
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
american journal of health studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1945-4511
pISSN - 1090-0500
DOI - 10.47779/ajhs.2020.100
Subject(s) - burnout , irritability , psychology , emotional exhaustion , workload , focus group , clinical psychology , qualitative research , interpersonal communication , apathy , perspective (graphical) , anxiety , social psychology , psychiatry , social science , cognition , marketing , artificial intelligence , sociology , computer science , business , operating system
The purpose of this study is to provide a qualitative perspective examining PAs students’ experiences of burnout and potential strategies to mitigate burnout. Thirty-two PA students participated in one of five focus groups. Emotional exhaustion was the most commonly expressed symptom of burnout, which then contributed to apathy and irritability. Participants noted sources contributing to burnout: individual, interpersonal, and environmental. The effects of burnout were classified into three categories: physical, emotional, and social. These findings reflect the need to develop strategies to reduce burnout while not increasing the students’ workload.