Literature review on Mentorship for Hospital Residents and the development of Leadership

Abstract

This literature review explores the role of mentorship and supervision during hospital residency, as well as the influence of mentorship, supervision and coaching on leadership skills. This article provides insight into definitions of mentorship, clinical leadership and management and how leadership theories have changed, as healthcare has become more complex. There is a positive association between mentoring medical trainees and postgraduate training outcomes and success in exams. With regard to leadership training, studies have found that supervision, mentoring or coaching are beneficial in developing leadership skills. Junior doctors believe that leadership and management are important for physicians and some believed it should be incorporated into the curriculum. The article also looks at the different leadership styles and if a certain style lends itself to being a better mentor. Three commonly employed leadership styles in healthcare, include democratic, affiliative and authoritative. A distributive leadership style was identified as being useful in healthcare. The situational Leadership Theory implies that different situations call for different leadership behaviours.