Focus Group Planned on Well-Being for Program Directors, Faculty, and Students
As we continue to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare education, it’s become increasingly apparent that the well-being of both students and faculty plays a significant role in the overall success of PA programs and the profession. To delve deeper into this important issue, PAEA will conduct focus groups with PA program directors, faculty, and students to understand how student well-being influences faculty burnout.
The purpose of these focus groups is to gather insights directly from program directors, faculty, and students to better comprehend the interconnected dynamics between student well-being and faculty burnout. This understanding will shape resources developed to support both groups, which will be available to all PAEA members. The information will also contribute to a broader qualitative study on student and faculty well-being and burnout. These efforts reflect PAEA’s commitment to gathering and reporting data in meaningful ways beyond traditional surveys, allowing participants to contribute to a deeper understanding of this critical issue. By participating in these discussions, you and your students can contribute to a greater understanding of this critical issue.
The focus groups will be facilitated by members of PAEA’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and Research teams and will provide an opportunity for both faculty and students to share their perspectives and experiences in a supportive environment. We plan to hold separate focus groups for faculty and students, each lasting approximately 1.5 hours, to ensure everyone can express themselves fully. All information shared during these discussions will be stored securely. Upon analysis, the data will be anonymized to ensure confidentiality and privacy. This study has been reviewed by an institutional review board (IRB), which is a committee that has reviewed this research study to help ensure that your rights and welfare as a research participant are protected and that the research study is carried out in an ethical manner.
If you are interested in participating, please submit your information using this link. A member of our EDI team will then contact you with further scheduling details.
Faculty members, to invite your students to participate, you will find a pre-written message below with information about the focus groups and a link to the participation intake form. We kindly ask that you distribute this message to your students, emphasizing that participation is voluntary, the commitment is 1.5 hours, and all information shared will be stored securely and later anonymized to ensure confidentiality and privacy. Additionally, PAEA will not communicate any information to the program regarding individual participants.
Thank you for considering this invitation. We look forward to collaborating with you and your students in our efforts to promote student well-being and mitigate faculty burnout.
If you have any questions or require further information, please don’t hesitate to contact us at rshannon@PAEAonline.org.
Text for faculty members to use to share this request with students:
Subject: Invitation to Participate in Focus Groups on Student Well-being and Mental Health
Dear Student:
As part of a commitment to fostering supportive and healthy learning environments for PA students and faculty, the PA Education Association (PAEA) invites you to participate in focus groups to discuss student well-being and mental health.
Your insights and perspectives are incredibly valuable to the future of the PA profession. By participating in these focus groups, you will have the opportunity to share your experiences in a supportive and confidential environment. Your input will directly shape the development of resources to support students like yourself.
Additionally, the insights gathered during these focus groups will contribute to a broader study on student and faculty well-being and burnout. Your participation will help us better understand these issues and work towards effective solutions.
Participation in these focus groups will require approximately 1.5 hours of your time. Anything you say during these discussions will be completely confidential, and all information shared during these discussions will be stored. All information shared will be stored securely and later anonymized to ensure confidentiality and privacy. PAEA will not communicate any information back to the program regarding individual participants, and at no time will identifying information be reported.
If you are interested in participating, please submit your information through this link. Please be aware that due to limited spots available for each focus group, participants will be selected based on the sequence of their initial contact and in accordance with the study design: one focus group for first-year students, one for second-year students, and one for students enrolled in programs with an MSI distinction.
If there are available spots in any of these three categories that match your enrollment status, a staff member will contact you. You will receive a Doodle poll link where you can submit your availability to join the discussions. Please keep an eye on your email for further instructions regarding your potential participation in these important discussions.
Your participation can significantly shape the future of student well-being and mental health in the PA profession. Feel free to contact the PAEA EDI Team at any time with questions or concerns at rshannon@PAEAonline.org.
Thank you for considering this invitation.
