A national survey of health professional student preceptors’ workplace mental health and well-being

Background: In response to concerns over the health of United States of America's (USA) healthcare workers, the USA Office of the Surgeon General emphasized the importance of addressing burnout and poor workplace conditions. This paper presents the findings of the National Area Health Education Centers Organization preceptors’ survey 2024, which assessed the workplace mental health and well-being of USA healthcare preceptors. Method: The survey, conducted between November 2023 and February 2024, included 123 preceptors in the Area Health Education Centers program from 49 states. Results: The results revealed insights into the preceptor’s mental health challenges. Notably, 58.2% reported that precepting contributes to burnout, while 41.8% self-reported burnout, and 45.3% felt loneliness. Despite these challenges, 92.5% of respondents reported a high quality of life. Conclusion: These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to enhance preceptors’ well-being. This survey identified the importance of supporting the mental health and well-being of healthcare preceptors.