Advanced Practitioners in Hematology and Oncology: State of the Workforce

Abstract

Advanced practitioners (APs), including nurse practitioners (NP), physician assistants (PA), pharmacists, and nurses with advanced degrees, including advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), play a critical role in quality, timely, and expert cancer care. Burnout, retention, and resilience have been studied in physician groups. However, there is a paucity of data specific to APs in hematology and oncology. The Advanced Practitioner Society for Hematology and Oncology (APSHO) conducted an online survey that used validated tools to measure burnout and work-life balance among APs who are members of APSHO. Among the 366 respondents completing all items of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the Areas of Worklife Survey (AWS), participants felt engaged (34.2%) but overextended (37.4%) and reported burnout (17.8%). These results indicate a need to evaluate workloads, improve communication, and deploy strategies for support and advocacy to improve work-life balance within this group. The stability of the AP workforce is essential to excellence in patient care, provider resilience, and cancer outcomes. Creating a culture of open communication and strong AP leadership with data streams and metrics specific to the hematology and oncology workforce will help to inform health systems, consumers of health care, professional societies, educational institutions, and APs. Systematic and regular assessment of burnout and barriers to work-life balance for APs is essential to sustained adaptation of strategies to reduce burnout and retain APs.