Campus Location
Dallas Campus (Online)
Date of Award
9-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Department
Organizational Leadership
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Committee Chair or Primary Advisor
Cecilia Hegamin-Younger
Second Committee Member or Secondary Advisor
Jaime Goff
Third Committee Member or Committee Reader
Heather Rasmussen
Abstract
The growing healthcare demands of the aging population in the United States, along with the growth of physician assistant (PA) educational programs, has created a pressing need for qualified PA educators. This study examined the role of impostor phenomenon and psychological safety in shaping PA faculty members’ intent to leave. Grounded in the job demands-resources framework, the research explored how individual psychological experiences and perceptions of the organizational climate relate to faculty turnover intentions in PA education. This study aimed to provide PA program administrators with information that may reduce faculty attrition and improve the overall well-being of novice faculty. This cross- sectional, correlational, quantitative study assessed the relationships between impostor phenomenon, psychological safety, and the intention to leave of novice PA faculty using demographics and validated instruments: the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale, the Survey Measure of Psychological Safety instrument, and the Turnover Intention Scale. Participants included 198 PA faculty members recruited through email, social media, professional learning communities, and a snowball sampling method. Data were collected via an online Qualtrics survey. Key findings indicated that intense impostor phenomenon was prevalent in both novice and experienced PA educators. Also, both impostor phenomenon and psychological safety were meaningful predictors of PA faculty members’ turnover intentions. Notably, psychological safety emerged as a protective factor, mitigating the negative impact of impostor phenomenon and intentions to leave. Recommendations were provided to create or enhance psychological safety in PA programs, alleviate impostor phenomenon, and decrease intentions to leave. Future research recommendations were also outlined.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Quillin, Barbara J., "Impostor Phenomenon, Psychological Safety, and the Intent to Leave of Novice PA Faculty" (2025). Digital Commons @ ACU, Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 942.
https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/etd/942