Intentional Resiliency Mentoring: A Mixed Methods Study Exploring A Pilot Mentorship Program for Occupational Therapy Students

Aim/Purpose: In this paper, we examine how first-year education doctoral (EdD) students in a peer mentoring program may be supported in the academic and psychosocial domains to increase timely degree completion, decrease attrition, and improve the EdD program for students and faculty. Background: EdD students often face unique trials based on academic, social, professional, and personal challenges that arise during their degree program. The paper addresses how peer mentoring programs may help students overcome these challenges while completing their EdD program. Methodology: To investigate the effectiveness of a peer mentoring program for students, we focused on a single case study of an EdD peer mentoring program with 11 first-year EdD students who participated in the program. Using mixed methods, we collected and analyzed data from pre- and post-surveys, individual interviews, and a focus group. Contribution: Few studies about peer mentoring programs for EdD students exist. This study is unique because it focuses on first-year EdD students’ perspectives and, unlike other studies on peer mentoring programs, peer mentors are defined as graduates of the EdD program or current EdD students who are further along in the program. Whilst many studies of peer mentoring recommend peer mentoring for new students, our findings suggest that in the case of EdD students, extended or later peer mentoring may be more beneficial. Findings: From the quantitative and qualitative data results, five themes related to mentee perspectives of the benefits of EdD peer mentoring program emerged: 1) receiving academic advice and program support; 2) focusing on the future; 3) receiving emotional support and work-life balance advice; 4) having an experienced and relatable mentor; and 5) needing more mentoring to derive benefits. While mentees reported positive feelings about the mentoring program, many expressed that they did not yet have a need for mentoring. Considering that most mentoring studies focus on early program mentees, these results present the possibility of a need for extended or later-program mentoring. Based on the data, we identified a need for additional research which focuses on determining the correct timing for EdD students to begin peer mentoring program since students take coursework during their first year and have not begun work in the dissertation phase of the program. Recommendations for Practitioners: Sustainability of peer mentoring programs can present challenges based on the time and needs of mentees, mentors, and faculty. Doctoral faculty should evaluate the benefits of an EdD peer mentoring program for mentees on a regular basis to ensure that the program effectively supports and guides mentees to degree completion. Recommendation for Researchers: Literature and research on the evaluation, impact, and value of peer mentoring programs for EdD students and first-year doctoral students are limited. Researchers could study further the perspectives of mentees in an EdD peer mentoring program throughout their degree program from taking coursework to writing a dissertation. The benefits of early-program mentoring in comparison to later-program mentoring could be investigated further. Impact on Society: Providing mentoring opportunities to EdD students may help them overcome academic, social, and emotional challenges, and in turn, allow more education leaders to successfully complete their EdD and use their education to improve their school communities. Future Research: Future studies should examine other options of mentoring programs for first-year EdD students and EdD students who completed their EdD coursework and are working on their dissertation. Longitudinal studies are also needed to track mentees’ progression throughout the program.

Best Practices for Mentoring in Online Programs is a straightforward guide to creating meaningful, lasting mentoring programs for faculty or students enrolled in fully or predominantly online programs. Faculty and student mentoring programs are proliferating in higher education, including peer mentoring, group/network mentoring, and career mentoring, making it all the more important that administrators and instructors incorporate research-based best practices for effective and successful implementation. Divided into two sections – the first on mentoring programs for faculty, the second on programs for students – this volume engages a broad variety of mentoring models and contexts across disciplines, paying special attention to the effective strategies and common problems associated with online mentoring. The book addresses the practical aspects of setting up, running, structuring, and evaluating online mentoring programs, along with the recruitment, selection, compensation, and recognition of mentors. Case studies and interviews bring to life the challenges and opportunities of mentorship, including how to resolve discussions pertaining to difficult or controversial issues, while a wealth of resources, templates, and checklists will help administrators and faculty take concrete steps towards implementing or developing programs tailored to their needs and institutional contexts.

The Pediatric Nephrology Workforce Crisis: A Call to Action

BackgroundThere are gaps in knowledge translation (KT) of current evidence-based practices regarding stroke assessment and rehabilitation delivered through teletherapy. A lack of this knowledge can prevent occupational therapy (OT) students and practitioners from implementing current research findings.ObjectiveThe aim of this pilot study was to create an educational program to translate knowledge into practice regarding the remote delivery of stroke assessment and rehabilitation to OT students and practitioners. Four areas of focus were addressed in the educational program, including KT, task-oriented training, stroke assessments, and telerehabilitation.MethodsTwo pilot studies were conducted to assess the knowledge gained via pretests and posttests of knowledge, followed by a System Usability Scale and general feedback questionnaire. Participants in study 1 were 5 OT practitioners and 1 OT assistant. Participants in study 2 were 9 current OT students. Four 1-hour modules were emailed weekly to participants over the course of 4 weeks, with each module covering a different topic (KT, task-oriented training, stroke assessments, and telerehabilitation). Preliminary results were reviewed using descriptive statistics.ResultsStatistically significant results were found with increased scores of knowledge for both students and practitioners. Most of the educational modules had an above-average score regarding value and positive feedback for the educational program as a whole from the participants.ConclusionsOverall, the results of this pilot study indicate that a web-based educational program is a valuable, informational method of increasing the translation of knowledge in the remote delivery of stroke assessment and rehabilitation. OT students and practitioners found the information presented to be valuable and relevant to their future profession and current practice.

Occupational therapy students and practitioners experience high levels of stress due to classroom and professional demands which can lead to burnout. Resilience is found as a protective factor against stress and burnout. Resilience can be defined as the different ways systems work together to achieve better results than expected, after experiencing adversity. Concepts related to resilience include social connection, self-efficacy, and mindfulness. Research done on resilience programming for students has been shown to support students in navigating the hardships of college. Resilience programming has been found to be effective for occupational therapists in the workplace during high work demands. However, there is very little existing research done on resilience programming for occupational therapy students. This research study investigated a resilience program for OT students at Dominican University of California and specifically aimed to explore the perceived value, utilization, and impact of the programming. This study utilized a mixed-methods explanatory design consisting of an online survey and semi- structured interviews. Results from the survey showed that students found co-curricular resources most valuable, with curricular being second, and passive programming being third. Results from the survey showed that curricular programming was the most utilized, then passive programming, and third was co-curricular programming. In the interviews, students cited social connection in their responses as to why resilience programming was valuable. Barriers to participation included lack of accessibility due to academic workloads, commuting to events, student work schedules, and funding. This research provides valuable insights for other OT programs to develop resilience initiatives and the role of resilience in preparing students for future careers.

Occupational therapy graduate students and occupational therapy practitioners experience chronic stress, adversity, and are at risk for burnout (de Witt, Monareng, Abraham, Koor, & Saber, 2019). Building a resilience practice early in the OT career has the potential to assist students in overcoming adversity from chronic stressors that could lead to burnout. We developed the L(OT)US project, a resilience program for occupational therapy students at Dominican University of California that consisted of three components: indoor resilience rest and recovery space, outdoor resilience resources box, and social media resources. e gathered feedback from current occupational therapy students who participated in our program through Google Form Surveys. 38.5% of respondents expressed that the Indoor Resilience, Rest, & Recover resources were “highly effective” in supporting resilience and 61.5% expressed that the resources were “effective” in supporting resilience. After using the ‘Outdoor Resilience Box’, 42.9% of students rated it as “highly effective” in supporting resilience and 57.1% rated it as “effective.” Developing a resilience program for OT graduate students provides opportunities for students to access research-backed tools shown to build skills of resilience prior to their transition into practice.

The purpose of this study was to examine the existence of preprofessional stereotypes in physical therapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) students at an urban midwestern university. Forty-two junior PT students and 42 junior OT students completed the Health Team Stereotyping Scale (HTSS) as a self-administered survey questionnaire. The students' total and individual word-pair scores on the HTSS were then compared. The first comparison, between the PT students' and the OT students' views of the PT profession, indicated that the PT students' assessment of the PT profession was more positive than that of the OT students. The second comparison, between the OT students' and the PT students' views of the OT profession, indicated that the OT students' perception of the OT profession was more positive than that of the PT students. Each student group chose both positive and negative descriptors for the other group. Some positive adjectives chosen by the OT students to describe PT students were "proud," "passive," and "precise." The PT students chose "casual" and "intentional" to positively describe OT students. Some negative adjectives chosen by the OT students to describe PT students were "overrated," "competitive," and "strict." The PT students described OT students as "passive," "dull," and "narrow." Both groups thought the other group was conventional and conservative. Awareness of the existence of positive and negative stereotypes may influence behaviors in preprofessional and professional environments.

ABSTRACTThis paper describes how an occupational therapy program used service-learning to integrate the learning objectives for mental health and research curriculum content. The service-learning program assisted participants diagnosed with mental illness to achieve success in higher education and/or related goals and served as a clinical program within a research curriculum for entry-level graduate occupational therapy students. The occupational therapy students served as mentors for the participants. The purpose of the program for the occupational therapy students was to teach research skills, clinical skills, and increase comfort in working with the mental health population. Seventy-eight occupational therapy students participated in the program over four academic years. A case example of a student/participant mentoring relationship is provided. Results indicated that the occupational therapy students gained comfort with the population and competence in their clinical and research skills.

In recent years, mentoring programs for medical students have been increasingly implemented in medical schools in Germany. This article describes avoluntary mentoring program for students, which is differentiated into acommon mentoring program (AP), amentoring program for excellent students (EP) and amentoring plus program (PP) for students with academic difficulties, and its evaluation.The evaluation is based on annual evaluation surveys among the participating mentees, who evaluate the mentoring relationship as well as the impact on their studies.The three student groups differ significantly with regard to sociodemographic variables. The satisfaction with the mentoring program is generally high: 84-94% are mentored by their preferred mentor, the majority assesses the conversational atmosphere as open (78-91%), and 89-98% would recommend participation in the program to others. The programs differ with regard to specific aspects. While PP mentees report the highest ratings on the mentor's accessibility, trustworthiness and feedback, EP mentees report the highest ratings on the mentor's competence as well as increased identification with the faculty and early career promotion through the mentoring program.The different assessments of the three programs as well as the generally high acceptance and satisfaction ratings indicate that such adifferentiated mentoring program provides aframework of individual support, which is highly appreciated by most students.

Occupational therapy students can experience a lack of social and academic belonging during their education, affecting their well-being and confidence. There is a lack of evidence-based programs to increase social and academic belonging. To explore experiences of belonging and adversity among entry-level occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) graduate students and develop an ecological belonging program to address the findings. Qualitative descriptive methodology with a constructivist paradigm. An entry-level OTD program at an urban research university. Forty-one entry-level OTD students were recruited from a 3-yr graduate program. A semistructured interview guide. Students at different stages in the entry-level OTD program participated in focus groups (n = 41). Themes illustrated that students experienced a lack of social and academic belonging at three program time points related to specific struggles they encountered. Themes included making friends, balancing school and personal life, questioning whether they belonged in occupational therapy, whether they would succeed in fieldwork, and how to excel as an entry-level practitioner. A three-session, evidence-based ecological belonging program, Supporting Hardiness and Inclusion for New Endeavors (SHINE), was developed from focus group findings. Occupational therapy students experience a lack of social and academic belonging and often feel alone in their struggles throughout graduate school. Evidence-based programs can be tailored and implemented to address this adversity. Educators can support students at key transition points to normalize adversity and encourage success. Plain-Language Summary: This study explored the experiences of belonging and adversity among entry-level occupational therapy doctorate students. The study aimed to develop a program to normalize challenges and address self-doubt among students. Focus groups revealed that students often question their career path and experience feelings of self-doubt, especially during key transitions. These concerns extended to clinical settings, both as students and as future clinicians. The findings informed the development of an evidence-based, ecological belonging program focused on building confidence, belonging, and strategies to overcome self-doubt, helping students develop resilience for success in education and future practice.

Background: Musculoskeletal issues at work have an influence on daily life, productivity, and quality of life. Musculoskeletal issues that go untreated can result in severe damage and function loss, which can limit participation, cause financial loss, and add to the rising burden of illness in the world. Objective: The purpose of this study was to find the effect of occupational therapy rehabilitation program in occupational therapy students with work related musculoskeletal disorder. Study Design:Quasi-experimental, pilot study design was chosen for the research Methods: The study employed a quasi-experimental study design. Thirty occupational therapy students aged 20-25 years were recruited through convenience sampling after a prevalence check where 30 students reported 54 musculoskeletal problems. A total number of participants (n= 30) received occupational therapy rehabilitation program. Standardised Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire (SNMQ) and Numeric pain rating scale (NPRS) were administered to Pain and work related musculoskeletal disorder for all the participants. Result: It revealed that there was a statistically significant difference in pre-test and post-test with numeric pain rating scale (t=10.625, p=0.000). There was a significant difference in percentage in 7 days component of SNMQ. There was no statistical difference with post-test of score of 12 months component of SNMQ. Conclusion: Occupational therapy rehabilitation program is effective for reducing Musculoskeletal disorder or discomfort in occupational therapy students.

Strategies to Design an Effective Mentoring Program

AimsDue to public health measures, such as social distancing, reductions of patient admissions and resulting lack of teaching opportunities, medical students’ time spent on, and intensity of, paediatric placements was...

Roudkovski was a faculty member and director of Counseling at a state university in Alabama.As director of Counseling, she was responsible for coordinating retention efforts for all programs and coordinated necessary efforts and interventions to retain students in jeopardy of leaving the university.Additionally, Dr. Roudkovski

BackgroundDespite increasing recognition that mentoring is essential early in medical careers, little is known about the prevalence of mentoring programs for medical students. We conducted this study to survey all medical schools in Germany regarding the prevalence of mentoring programs for medical students as well as the characteristics, goals and effectiveness of these programs.MethodsA definition of mentoring was established and program inclusion criteria were determined based on a review of the literature. The literature defined mentoring as a steady, long-lasting relationship designed to promote the mentee's overall development. We developed a questionnaire to assess key characteristics of mentoring programs: the advocated mentoring model, the number of participating mentees and mentors, funding and staff, and characteristics of mentees and mentors (e.g., level of training). In addition, the survey characterized the mentee-mentor relationship regarding the frequency of meetings, forms of communication, incentives for mentors, the mode of matching mentors and mentees, and results of program evaluations. Furthermore, participants were asked to characterize the aims of their programs. The questionnaire consisted of 34 questions total, in multiple-choice (17), numeric (7) and free-text (10) format. This questionnaire was sent to deans and medical education faculty in Germany between June and September 2009. For numeric answers, mean, median, and standard deviation were determined. For free-text items, responses were coded into categories using qualitative free text analysis.ResultsWe received responses from all 36 medical schools in Germany. We found that 20 out of 36 medical schools in Germany offer 22 active mentoring programs with a median of 125 and a total of 5,843 medical students (6.9 - 7.4% of all German medical students) enrolled as mentees at the time of the survey. 14 out of 22 programs (63%) have been established within the last 2 years. Six programs (27%) offer mentoring in a one-on-one setting. 18 programs (82%) feature faculty physicians as mentors. Nine programs (41%) involve students as mentors in a peer-mentoring setting. The most commonly reported goals of the mentoring programs include: establishing the mentee's professional network (13 programs, 59%), enhancement of academic performance (11 programs, 50%) and counseling students in difficulties (10 programs, 45%).ConclusionsDespite a clear upsurge of mentoring programs for German medical students over recent years, the overall availability of mentoring is still limited. The mentoring models and goals of the existing programs vary considerably. Outcome data from controlled studies are needed to compare the efficiency and effectiveness of different forms of mentoring for medical students.