Job satisfaction among British physician associates

Abstract

All British physician associates (PAs) were invited to participate in the annual census of the UK Association of Physician Associates (UKAPA) in May 2014. Each participant completed the Cooper 10-item Job Satisfaction Scale and a PA-specifi c job satisfaction survey. In general, PAs were found to be satisfi ed with their work. No factor assessed by the survey had lower than a 66.6% satisfaction rate. Of the factors assessed, PAs were most satisfi ed with their relationships with the doctors on their teams. They were least satisfi ed with their ability to use their training and abilities, with only 66.6% of participants reporting satisfaction with this aspect of their work. Like their American colleagues, British PAs are generally satisfi ed with their work. They are least satisfi ed with their ability to fully use their training, which is likely due to the youth of the profession, lack of prescriptive rights and lack of understanding of the PA role.