ABSTRACT
Objective: The purpose of this study is to analyze vocational satisfaction differences by gender as a follow-up of data gathered from a mailed survey study on American physician assistant vocational satisfaction.
Methods: This is an analysis of a database from an original piloted, validated survey with a response rate of 50% from 2,323 labels from the 2003 AAPA's mailing list (n = 1,137). The survey measured vocational satisfaction in terms of career, job, and specialty choice on a forced-choice 6-point Likert-type scale. A qualitative analysis of answers to open-ended questions addressing career satisfiers and dissatisfiers was also conducted.
Results: PAs were shown to be highly satisfied with their careers, specialty choices, and jobs. Trends for male PAs showed that they were more satisfied with their careers, specialty choices, and jobs (6-point Likert scale) but female PAs were more likely to refer others into the PA profession than their male counterparts (4-point Likert scale). Statistically significant differences via 2-tailed Mann-Whitney U tests were shown for job satisfaction (P = .02, male Likert mean 3.92 vs. female 3.78) and the likelihood to refer others into the profession (P = .04, female Likert mean 3.43 vs. male 3.33). Twenty-one factors for vocational satisfaction and 29 for dissatisfaction were qualitatively analyzed by gender. The top three satisfiers of helping others, patient interaction, and intellectual challenge were the same by rank regardless of gender. Similarly, the top three dissatisfiers were the same but in reverse order for female and male PAs: (lack of) respect, compensation, and other, for females; and other, compensation, and respect, for males.
Conclusions: This study demonstrated very similar vocational satisfaction measures for female PAs and male PAs via quantitative and qualitative methods with the noteworthy exception that male PAs were statistically more satisfied with their jobs while female PAs were statistically more likely to refer others into the career. These differences, while statistically significant, may be of no practical significance and need to be further studied.
The AAPA estimates that 88,771 people are currently eligible to practice as physician assistants (PAs) and that as of May 2010, 74,469 people were practicing clinically as PAs.1 In 2008, women represented 72.7% of PA matriculants.2 The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that PA jobs will grow by 39% between 2008 and 2018, which is much faster than average growth.3 With the increasing popularity of the PA profession, wise career and job choices should be made to achieve vocational satisfaction. Theories on job satisfaction, career choice, and career development are vast and varied. A synthesis of examples was previously published in JAAPA.4 In addition to contributing to life satisfaction, vocational satisfaction is particularly important in the medical profession, as inferred from the work of Mathieu and Zajac.5 The quality of patient care may be compromised if job satisfaction is not achieved.
Several studies have been published showing high levels of PA professional satisfaction with work environment, clinical practice, and job factors.4,6-9 In a survey of physicians, PAs, and nurse practitioners (NPs) functioning as primary care providers in a large group-model HMO, all reported that professional autonomy was not a problem and that they were satisfied with most aspects of their practice. Sources of dissatisfaction included patient load and amount of time spent with patients. PAs and NPs were more likely to indicate daily stress than physicians were. With respect to income and fringe benefits, PAs and NPs were significantly less satisfied than the physicians.10 In a mixed methodology (quantitative and qualitative) survey study of PAs across the United States, LaBarbera identified 21 variables for the high degree of PA career satisfaction and 29 variables for dissatisfaction.4 The top three ranked satisfiers were helping others, patient interaction, and intellectual challenge. The top three dissatisfiers were lack of respect, lack of compensation, and other. Autonomy was the fourth-ranked career satisfier, and lack of autonomy was ranked 17th for career dissatisfaction. Satisfaction was not analyzed by gender, however.
An understanding of vocational satisfaction among PAs is important to maintain the professional practice characteristics that contribute to a high level of satisfaction.8 Administrators may be able to control some variables to improve their employees' satisfaction, thereby improving recruitment and retention. Furthermore, knowledge of these variables is important to job applicants and to those exploring careers because some of the variables may be amenable to personal control. To explore PA vocational satisfaction by gender, the results of a mailed written survey were analyzed.