Future role of healthcare mentors and coaches in navigating workplace culture

Abstract

A core value of the Australian and New Zealand Association for Health Professional Educators (ANZAHPE) is to be a nurturing organisation that enshrines the value of mentorship. In this paper we explore the roles of mentors and coaches and how these might adapt over the next 50 years towards assisting a novice to understand the culture within their own workplace, to enable them to function, survive, and thrive within this context. We further propose that the respective roles of mentors and coaches will become increasingly distinct from each other, to optimise the support that is available for new health professionals, educators, and researchers as they enter the workforce and prepare for lifelong learning and scholarship.