Survey Reveals Top-Rated Job Traits for Physicians and Advanced Practice Clinicians

Career fulfillment has become increasingly important to physicians and advanced practice clinicians (APCs) in recent years, but what are the job characteristics and traits that actually deliver? Knowing what they are can help you proactively make changes where you are — or search out something better, where the likelihood of lasting job satisfaction is high and the risk of disappointment is low.

As a trusted recruiting partner to physicians and APCs, Provider Solutions & Development (PS&D) connects with clinicians like you every day so we can match you with your ideal opportunity. We find the right fit for more than 1,500 providers a year. To keep our finger on the pulse of providers’ wants and needs, PS&D conducts research with a diverse pool of physicians and APCs. Our goal is to understand what matters most to you, what attracts you to one role over another and why you choose to stay or leave.

PS&D recently conducted a survey on what brings physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants like you happiness and lasting fulfillment on the job.

You can check out these insights by downloading our infographic, What Do Physicians and APCs Value Most About Their Jobs? and referencing it throughout your job search, or checking it out at the bottom of this article.

What Drives Physician and Advanced Practice Clinician Satisfaction?

Only you can know what will make you happy long-term — both on and off the job. But it helps to learn, collectively, what other providers believe has made the biggest difference for them in overall career fulfillment.

In a time when health systems are motivated to create better working environments for clinicians, it’s worth taking stock of what you need and want at your current job — or your next one. Wherever you are in your career, one thing is certain: You are in high demand, and you’re in the driver’s seat.

Jillian Toda-Currie, PS&D consumer insights manager, says now is a pivotal moment for providers and the healthcare industry alike to evolve.

“At PS&D, we are committed to getting it right when we match a physician with a new practice,” she says. “It’s really important to us that they will be happy long-term. And this study is really illuminating in showing us exactly what providers are finding fulfilling and rewarding in their jobs. This knowledge is powerful, because it can light the way for other doctors, who may be struggling with what to look for in their next role.”

Our clinician satisfaction survey asked doctors and APCs questions about their roles in two main categories: employment and culture.

Employment aspects:

Role-specific details that individually impact physicians and advanced practice clinicians, like salary and schedule, often attract them to new positions and influence their decision to stay or leave.

Top employment aspects include:

• Salary
• Schedule
• Autonomy
• Commute time
• Benefits (outside of salary and time off)

Cultural aspects:

The work environment significantly influences physician and clinician satisfaction and retention.

Top cultural aspects include:

• Sufficient staffing
• Leadership transparency
• Career growth opportunities
• Company values
• Innovation (e.g., scheduling tools, AI scribes, etc.)

Top 3 Job Aspects Physicians and Advanced Practice Clinicians combined care most about:

1. 70%: Salary. If salary matters most to you, keep in mind how benefits and other forms of compensation (bonuses, revenue shares, etc.) will affect your total compensation in your next role.

2. 61%: Flexible Schedule. Scheduling varies depending on where you work. Mixing up the duration of shifts can allow for more days off, helping you achieve better balance. For example, nurse practitioners working in clinics may have three 12-hour shift workdays and the rest of the week off. If you know you want to work part-time, it’s worth asking for, even if you see a job listed as full-time.

3. 58%: Autonomy. If autonomy tops your list, the size of your employer matters. Small or large, urban or rural, there are pros and cons for each type of health system, depending on your preferences. You’ll significantly impact a smaller organization in a rural area, while large health systems offer more resources and are often a more fast-paced work environment. The structure of the organization also matters. Employers offering partial physician ownership and dyad leadership models can give physicians and APCs more autonomy.

Cultural components physicians and APCs care most about:

1. 85%: Sufficient staffing. As aging physicians retire, and burnout causes some doctors and clinicians to leave medicine, the healthcare staffing shortage crisis continues to grow.

2. 63%: Transparency. Physicians and APCs say transparency from their healthcare administration is an important component of their work environment. An organization’s values and encouraging opportunities to provide feedback to leadership and administration are essential factors to physicians and clinicians.

3. 53%: Career growth. Although promotions bring more pay and influence, promotions in medicine may include an increased administrative role, which not all practitioners are interested in.

Physicians and Advanced Practice Clinicians Need an Empowering Culture

Beyond tangible benefits like salary and career growth, PS&D’s study shows the ideal work culture holistically respects clinicians and acknowledges their work and value. We call this grouping of attributes an “empowered culture.”

Why an empowered work culture is important

Making an empowered culture a top priority in your job search gives you a helpful framework for weighing an employer’s ability to meet your needs.

Although high salaries can be enticing, it’s critical to take a step back to fully assess an organization before accepting a new position. Communicate with recruiters and use your job interviews to find out if the employer has the workplace culture you’re looking for in your next role.

You might also consider reaching out to clinicians who have worked or currently work at an organization. Ask them about their experiences, what support from the organization looks like or how responsive the clinical manager is to faculty concerns. Talk to as many people as you can to get a feel for whether they are happy.

Simplify Your Job Search with PS&D

Now you have the job insights to help you determine what you need to succeed in your current job and your next role. Using this information, plus critical questions to ask, will help you navigate your career journey. Our recruiters are experts at helping providers like you explore options and find the right next step.

Reach out today to get started.