Research and Scholarship

Advanced Practitioners in Hematology and Oncology: State of the Workforce

Sandra Kurtin,(1) PhD, ANP-BC, AOCN®, FAPO, Carolyn Grande,(2) CRNP, AOCNP®, Megan May,(3) PharmD, BCOP, FAPO, FHOPA, Andrea Edwards,(4) PA-C, Steven Wei,(5) EdD, MS, MPH, PA-C, DFAPPA, Brianna Hoffner,(6) MSN, ANP-BC, AOCNP®, FAPO, and Wendy Vogel,(7) MSN, FNP, AOCNP®, FAPO

From (1)The University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, Arizona; (2)Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; (3)Baptist Health Lexington, Lexington, Kentucky; (4)Virginia Oncology Associates, Newport News, Virginia; 5The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas; 6BroadcastMed, Huntington, New York; 7Advanced Practitioner Society for Hematology and Oncology, Newtown, Pennsylvania

Authors’ disclosures of conflicts of interest are found at the end of this article.

Correspondence to: Sandra Kurtin, PhD, ANP-C, AOCN®, FAPO, The University of Arizona Cancer Center, 3838 N. Campbell Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719-1454 E-mail: sandrakurtin@gmail.com

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.

Advanced Practitioners in Hematology and Oncology: A Call to Action
Introduction
Advanced Practitioners in Hematology and Oncology: State of the Workforce
The Value of the Advanced Practitioner in Hematology and Oncology: Establishing Benchmarks
Understanding Advanced Practitioner Prescriptive Privileges for Anticancer Therapies: A National Survey
Advanced Practitioners as Agents of Change: Leveraging Quality Improvement to Improve Practice
Role of the Advanced Practitioner in Clinical Research
APSHO Oncology/Hematology Advanced Practitioner Compensation Survey

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