Accessible Support, Community Engagement Needed to Help Mitigate Burnout in Oncology

This Blog post represents a partnership between the Women in Medicine Summit and Healio Women in Oncology. An excerpt appears blow, and please find the full length piece at Healio’s Women in Oncology Blog.

A supportive, encouraging environment is one piece of the puzzle to help mitigate the burnout impacting oncology physician associates nationwide.

In a survey of 234 physician associates working in oncology, nearly half reported at least one symptom of burnout — an increase from 30% in years prior.

Women who work as physician associates in oncology report even higher rates of burnout.

Burnout is the result of unmanaged chronic, work-related stress, which providers working in oncology are particularly susceptible to because of the complexity of our patient care work environment. With nearly 40,000 new physician associates expected to enter the field in the coming years, it is critical that we make strides to reduce the risk for burnout by providing accessible support and community engagement tailored for advanced practice providers.

Juggling a lot

Providers who care for patients with cancer are known to be at an increased risk for experiencing burnout because of the significant amount of compassion needed for such complex care. Then, consider the caregiver duties in the personal lives of physician associates, and it is clear that we are juggling a lot.

About the author: Sarah Sagorsky, MPAS, PA-C, is a senior physician associate in the department of medical oncology at Johns Hopkins Hospital and a POCN ambassador.