Exploring burnout and job stressors among advanced practice providers

Background Minimal research exists on how engagement, burnout, work-family balance, and job stressors impact advanced practice nurses and physician assistants, collectively referred to advanced practice providers (APPs). Purpose To investigate the interrelationships among burnout, job stressors, work-family balance, and engagement with APPs. Methods An online questionnaire was distributed to APPs working in four healthcare systems. A total of 1,216 APPs completed the survey. A hypothesized model was tested using structural equation modeling. Findings There was a high correlation of job stressors with development of burnout. A significant negative effect between job stress and work engagement was supported; however, indirect effects of stress through job burnout had a stronger impact on work engagement. Higher levels of work-family balance contributed to a lower level of stress experienced by providers. Discussion Organizational leaders desiring to improve employee engagement and reduce burnout need to focus on the significance of work-family balance to job stressors.