As you can imagine, workload is a very hot topic. In response to, “What else affects your job satisfaction?” the greatest number of comments related to electronic charting and data collection. These activities are felt to demand so much time and effort that it takes away from patient care. The survey responses support this: Compared to last year, although the number of hours worked is the same this year, PAs now spend 1 hour less per week on patient care (direct and indirect) and 1 hour more on other duties (administrative and teaching). As one clinician put it, “…availability of medical assistant/administrative support is huge” in alleviating the sense of being overworked or overextended.
Aside from work hours, clinicians told us they seek positions that allow them “input on all issues related to practice” and flexibility on “what/who I am allowed to treat.” According to the survey, when providing patient care,
- 84% of PAs assess, treat, and manage decisions independently
- 37% collaborate with a physician
- 19% consult with a specialist
supporting the fact that 58% of PAs are satisfied most of the time; 12% are always satisfied.
A side note: Of the 50% of PAs who responded that they are involved in teaching students (78% of whom are PAs), they spend approximately 4 hours a week,
- Either as a clinical preceptor (35%)
- In the classroom (5%)
- Or both (10%).
CME REIMBURSEMENT
As we know, PAs earn continuing medical education (CME) credits in order to maintain certification. Therefore, we asked you to indicate how much financial reimbursement you receive annually for CME; answer choices range from $0 to > $2,000 per year (in $500 increments). We also queried you about how much time you are allotted annually for CME; choices were from “None” to “More than 5 weeks.”
To see what your colleagues said, go to the next page