The Great Resignation: The Workforce Exodus Hits Neurology Practice and Research
By Admin | December 10, 2021
Over the past 20 months, many sectors of the health care workforce have suffered extraordinary levels of stress and exhaustion due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This has resulted in massive departures of physicians, advanced practice providers (APPs), nurses1, technicians, medical assistants (MAs), research assistants, administrative assistants, and other employees.
According to a survey by Morning Consult, which polled 1,000 U.S. health care workers in early September, nearly one in five had quit their jobs during the pandemic, and one in five of those remaining had considered leaving. The exodus has placed downstream pressure on the remaining staff, who are often asked to bear an increased workload, creating a domino effect on the outflow of employees.
The causes for these departures are complex and multifactorial. They have been attributed to the effect of vaccine mandates on those unwilling to get vaccinated, illness related to COVID-19 or its sequelae, and severe burnout and other psychological consequences triggered by the pandemic. More broadly, COVID-19 has caused health care professionals to reevaluate what they find meaningful in life, to examine whether they feel sufficiently valued in their workplaces, and to consider alternative positions or even professions. Many ultimately end up leaving for higher pay and better opportunities.
As a result, neurology practices, hospitals, and academic institutions across the country are experiencing severe workflow disruptions. So ubiquitous is this crisis that one might ask who in our profession has not been impacted, rather than who has.
Neurology Today spoke to several neurologists and business administrators who provided examples of how the employment shortages have affected their departments and practices across the country.
A Dearth of Medical Assistants
Randolph W. Evans, MD, FAAN, a solo practitioner in Houston, who has practiced general neurology and headache medicine for the past 39 years was unable to find an MA after two left in April 2021. Prior to the pandemic, a listing in Indeed by his practice would have elicited a robust response of qualified assistants, but in April...(More)
For more info please read, The Great Resignation: The Workforce Exodus Hits Neurology Practice and Research, by Neurology Today
