Abstract
PURPOSE: The purpose of this article is to review the causes and consequences of burnout in advanced practice providers (APP), with a special emphasis on burnout in physician assistants (PAs). It serves to identify the causes, prevention, risks, and harms of burnout as well as outlining the definition of burnout. METHOD: An extensive literature search was conducted with search terms burnout, burnout in medicine, burnout in midlevel providers, burn out in physician assistants, burnout and depression, and burnout prevention. Thirteen pertinent articles were retrieved, all of which served as the basis for this clinical literature review. RESULTS: Multiple articles showed a positive correlation between provider burnout with the development of provider depression and decreased job satisfaction. The articles also showed burnout as a cause of increased risk of patient harm, increased medical errors, and malpractice lawsuits. Articles also identified the fields in which burnout is more prevalent, and the way in which management can help mitigate burnout in APPs.
