Mentorship and self-efficacy are associated with lower burnout in physical therapists in the United States: a cross-sectional survey study.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the prevalence of burnout in physical therapists in the United States and the relationships between burnout and education, mentorship, and self-efficacy. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional survey study. An electronic survey was distributed to practicing physical therapists across the United States over a 6-week period from December 2020 to January 2021. The survey was completed by 2,813 physical therapists from all states. The majority were female (68.72%), White or Caucasian (80.13%), and employed full-time (77.14%). Respondents completed questions on demographics, education, mentorship, self-efficacy, and burnout. The Burnout Clinical Subtypes Questionnaire 12 (BCSQ-12) and self-reports were used to quantify burnout, and the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) was used to measure self-efficacy. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed. RESULTS: Respondents from home health (median BCSQ-12=42.00) and skilled nursing facility settings (median BCSQ-12=42.00) displayed the highest burnout scores. Burnout was significantly lower among those who provided formal mentorship (median BCSQ-12=39.00, P=0.0001) compared to no mentorship (median BCSQ-12=41.00). Respondents who received formal mentorship (median BCSQ-12=38.00, P=0.0028) displayed significantly lower burnout than those who received no mentorship (median BCSQ-12=41.00). A moderate negative correlation (rho=-0.49) was observed between the GSES and burnout scores. A strong positive correlation was found between self-reported burnout status and burnout scores (rrb=0.61). CONCLUSION: Burnout is prevalent in the physical therapy profession, as almost half of respondents (49.34%) reported burnout. Providing or receiving mentorship and higher self-efficacy were associated with lower burnout. Organizations should consider measuring burnout levels, investing in mentorship programs, and implementing strategies to improve self-efficacy.

Are Productivity Goals in Rehabilitation Practice Associated With Unethical Behaviors?

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the presence of productivity goals among licensed rehabilitation clinicians and their relationship with observed unethical behavior. DESIGN: Exploratory, cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Online. PARTICIPANTS: Licensed physical therapy clinicians (N=3446). INTERVENTION: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Participants completed an electronic survey regarding use of clinical productivity goals. They rated the frequency in which they observed 6 unethical behaviors on a 7-point Likert scale in their practice setting from 1=never to 7=always. An overall observed unethical behavior score was calculated by summing these scales. RESULTS: The response rate was 12.8% (N=3446), with analyses showing low risk of nonresponse bias. Many respondents (73.9%) had a formal productivity goal. Most (89.4%) reported observing some form of unethical behavior, but many (68.6%) reported it occurred "rarely" or "never." Those in skilled nursing facility (SNF) settings reported higher frequencies of observance and were 4.1 times more likely to report more unethical behavior than the median compared with all other settings. A positive correlation existed between expected productivity rate and rate of unethical behaviors observed (ρ=0.225; P<.0001). Amounts of organizational emphases on ethical practice (ρ=-0.509; P<.0001) and evidence-based practice (ρ=-0.492; P<.0001) were negatively correlated with total observed unethical behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Use of productivity goals in rehabilitation practice is significantly related with rate of unethical behavior observed. Frequency of observed unethical behavior in rehabilitation practice was very low overall. Organizational culture appears to be a greater predictor of observed unethical behavior than any individual clinician-related characteristics. The SNF setting displays the greatest areas of ethical concern.