Survey Results Point to High Rates of Burnout Among APPs and Pharmacists in Neurology

Bryan Walker, MHS, PA-C

(Credit: LinkedIn)

Results from a recent survey revealed that 57% of neurology advanced practice providers (APPs) and clinical pharmacists (CPs) in the United States reported being burned out or starting to experience burnout.¹ These findings, presented at the 2025 Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) Annual Meeting, held May 28-31, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona, may shed further light on burnout, a previously unreported issue in this specific workforce in neurology.²

The study, which included responses from physician assistants (PAs), nurse practitioners (NPs), and CPs, aimed to establish burnout prevalence and assess associated risk factors in neurology practice settings. Of the 121 individuals who received the survey, 101 (83%) responded. The results showed that 51% of respondents reported experiencing great job stress, whereas 45% cited electronic medical records (EMRs) as a source of frustration. Notably, 23% of respondents reported a high degree of EMR-related stress.

Presented by lead author Bryan Walker, MHS, PA-C, director of advanced practice initiatives in North America Medical Affairs at EMD Serono, APPs made up 59% of respondents (PAs, 19%; NPs, 40%) and CPs comprised 39% of respondents. Researchers noted that workload emerged as another contributing factor to burnout, with 28% of participants reporting that they worked more than 50 hours per week, and 8% worked more than 60 hours weekly.

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For the survery, researchers utilized the Mini Z inventory v3.0, a validated 10-question tool that assesses work-life balance and wellness, along with additional questions covering demographics, work environment, and support systems. Authors noted that all the data collected from the survey responses were analyzed descriptively.

Despite the reported stressors, 73% of respondents in the survey said they experienced satisfaction with their current job. However, authors noted that 57% said they had considered leaving the field or changing careers because of burnout or related concerns in the past year. Additionally, the results revealed that a majority of respondents who considered leaving, 43.1% of respondents, reported that they were employed at academic medical centers.

Although the survey may be limited by the relatively small sample size, researchers noted that the findings could provide additional insight into the high rates of burnout among neurology APPs and CPs in the U.S., with EMR-related frustrations and long work hours cited as key contributors to stress. Despite high also levels of reported job satisfaction, the results showed that more than half of respondents had considered leaving the field, potentially pointing to a need for further research and interventions aimed at supporting these neurology health care professionals.

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REFERENCES
1. Walker B, Bruen D, Zeplin-Pratt E. Quantitative Survey of Burnout Among Neurology Advanced Practice Providers (Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners) and Clinical Pharmacists in the United States. Presented at: 2025 CMSC Annual Meeting; May 28-31; Phoenix, AZ. ABSTRACT LBA02.
2. Rensel M, Sullivan AB, Zeplin-Pratt E, Terry-Leonard G. United States–Based Quantitative Survey on Physician Burnout in Multiple Sclerosis, Neurology. Presented at: 2024 CMSC Annual Meeting; May 29-June 2; Nashville, TN. Abstract LB13