Burnout and retention of general practice supervisors: Prevalence, risk factors and self-care

Abstract

Background and objective Burnout is common in primary care doctors. The aim of this study was to explore burnout, self-care and retention in general practice supervision in Australia. Methods The sample comprised 267 general practice supervisors from all Australian states and territories. Respondents completed an anonymous online survey. Results Respondents reported high levels of disengagement (n=189; 71%) and exhaustion (n=212; 79%). Factors associated with burnout included being younger; working while unwell; holding the belief that workplace support for self-care was inadequate; and lower daily balance and/or professional development self-care. Exhaustion was negatively associated with general practice supervisor retention via its negative effect on self-care (β=–0.379; 95% CI: –0.777 to -0.050). Discussion Burnout is common in general practice supervisors and is associated with attrition, possibly via a negative effect on self-care. Greater investment in workplace initiatives to address burnout and sector-wide strategies to reduce workforce shortages are needed.