Good Mentor Research Articles

What makes a good mentor?

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings This paper explores the characteristics of effective mentors in inter-organizational mentoring. The study finds that work experience, communication and teaching skills, and motivation and commitment to the mentoring program are the mostly highly rated characteristics according to a survey of people who have participated in inter-organizational mentoring programs. Originality The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Mentoring the person: Building on strengths and managing challenges

Mentoring is not about setting up expectations of perfection, but working with each person to help them succeed. Every person, from undergrad to senior professor, has some skills that come naturally, and some that, …well…, do not. This talk will reflect on the fact that good mentoring involves helping each unique person identify both their “super powers”—as well as their weaknesses. Each person has things that they are good at, that they enjoy, and that speak to their values (their super powers). But knowing how to mitigate weaknesses is equally important, whether it is through recruiting a good collaborator to fill in a gap, working to strengthen a particular skill, or simply forging a path where a particular weakness is not critical. Along some paths, perseverance and an ability to see the big picture may be more critical than programming skills or mathematical wizardry; along others, raw intellectual horsepower and an ability to focus may be key, without relying on having to work closely with others. Without naming names, I will provide some examples of how some of my mentees have succeeded by building on their strengths while managing their personal and professional challenges.Mentoring is not about setting up expectations of perfection, but working with each person to help them succeed. Every person, from undergrad to senior professor, has some skills that come naturally, and some that, …well…, do not. This talk will reflect on the fact that good mentoring involves helping each unique person identify both their “super powers”—as well as their weaknesses. Each person has things that they are good at, that they enjoy, and that speak to their values (their super powers). But knowing how to mitigate weaknesses is equally important, whether it is through recruiting a good collaborator to fill in a gap, working to strengthen a particular skill, or simply forging a path where a particular weakness is not critical. Along some paths, perseverance and an ability to see the big picture may be more critical than programming skills or mathematical wizardry; along others, raw intellectual horsepower and an ability to focus may be key, without relying on having to work closely with others. W...

High enthusiasm about long lasting mentoring relationships and older mentors

BackgroundMentoring plays a pivotal role in workplace-based learning, especially in the medical realm. Organising a formal mentoring programme can be labor and time intensive and generally impractical in resource constrained medical schools with limited numbers of mentors. Hence, informal mentoring offers a valuable alternative, but will be more likely to be effective when mentors and protégés share similar views. It is therefore important to gain more insight into factors influencing perceptions of informal mentoring. This study aims to explore mentors and protégés’ perceptions of informal mentoring and how these vary (or not) with gender, age and the duration of the relationship.MethodWe administered an Informal Mentor Role Instrument (IMRI) to medical practitioners and academics from Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was developed for the study from other validated instruments. It contained 39 items grouped into 7 domains: acceptance, counselling, friendship, parenting, psychological support, role modelling and sociability.ResultsA total of 103 mentors and 91 protégés completed the IMRI. Mentors had a better appreciation for the interpersonal aspects of informal mentoring than protégés, especially regarding acceptance, counselling and friendship. Moreover, being older and engaged in a longer mentoring relationship contributed to more positive perceptions of interpersonal aspects of mentoring, regardless of one’s role (mentor or protégé).ConclusionIt can be concluded that the expectations of mentors and protégés differed regarding the content and aim of the interpersonal characteristics of their mentoring relationship. We recommend mentors and protégés to more explicitly exchange their expectations of the informal mentoring relationship, as typically practiced in formal mentoring. Additionally, in our study, seniority and lasting relationships seem crucial for good informal mentoring. It appears beneficial to foster lasting informal mentoring relationships and to give more guidance to younger mentors.

A rapid review of educational preparedness of advanced clinical practitioners.

The aim of this study was to synthesize available data on current educational provision related to preparation for the advanced clinical practice role. A mixed methods rapid review of the literature. A search of Ovid Medline and Ovid EMBASE for English language papers published 2006-2018 resulted in 38 publications, which met the criteria for inclusion. Using Tricco's seven-stage process, following an identification of relevant papers and data extraction, a data-based convergent synthesis was used to convert quantitative papers into qualitative data prior to completing a narrative synthesis. The four themes identified from data synthesis were consolidation; theory to practice gap; competency and mentoring. A lack of preparedness for new advanced clinical practitioners completing an educational programme was noted with a need identified for a clinically focussed consolidation period to enable practitioners to develop their skills under supervision in the clinical environment. As the needs for different models of health care evolve with the expansion of advanced practice, appropriate education and clinical supervision are important aspects in the delivery of programmes that allow individuals to be competent and confident practitioners providing safe and effective health care. There is a paucity of papers on educational preparedness of advanced clinical practitioners. Our findings demonstrate a lack of preparedness and the need for a clinically focussed consolidation period with good role models and mentors following completion of a Master's programme. Employers and higher education institutions need to ensure a protected period of time is available for newly qualified advanced clinical practitioners to allow consolidation of clinical practice.

Promoting Transition Resilience through Personal Development Planning: An Evaluation of the Perspectives of Preparation for Transition of Final-Year Undergraduate Nursing Students

The experience of transition is of concern to newly registered nurses entering the world of work, and to those seeking to prepare, recruit and retain such nurses. This paper evaluates a final year preparation for role transition module from the perspectives of final year student nurses. Focus groups and one to one interviews were carried out at three distinct points in time, after the module assessments and after each of the three clinical placements in the final year. Braun and Clarke’s inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data with four themes emerging: impact/relevance of the personal development plan; development of self; role of the mentor; and transition resilience/taking control. These four themes were then applied to Kirkpatrick’s model of evaluation, providing a deductive or theoretical framework for analysing and evaluating the outcomes of the module. Preparation for transition and the development of resilience have been identified as a potential solution associated with the negative experiences and challenges of transition. Resilience is an essential attribute that enables nurses to make sense of their experiences of transition and manage the stress of the work place. Creating transition focused personal development plans to guide learning in the final year enabled the participants to take responsibility for their own learning and with the support from a good mentor, participants were able to understand that feeling nervous about transition was normal. This in turn enhanced their confidence, promoting ‘transition resilience’ as opposed to feelings and experiences associated with the more traditional concept of transition or reality shock. Key Words: role transition, transition resilience, transition module, reality shock, transition focused personal development plan

How to Foster Academic Promotion and Career Advancement of Women in Gastroenterology

How to Foster Academic Promotion and Career Advancement of Women in Gastroenterology

Why we need good mentoring

Cancer research relies on key values such as creativity, collaboration, research integrity and resource sharing. A positive research environment which fosters these key values is becoming a decisive factor for some funders and research institutions. To create a supportive research culture in laboratories, the training and mentoring of young scientists is important. However, the fast-paced and fierce competition for funding and jobs can present a challenge to the younger generation of scientists who depend on the guidance and mentorship of scientific leaders. The annual Nature Awards for Mentoring in Science have been created to bring attention to one of the most essential but least recognized skills in scientific leadership. Thus far, 35 scientists from across the world, who are working in a range of disciplines, have been recognized by this award for their outstanding scientific mentorship. In this Viewpoint, we have asked three recipients of this award who work in fields associated with cancer research about their views on good mentoring, and how a revised approach to mentorship can help to achieve a positive research culture and contribute to scientific discovery.

Formal Structures of Mentorship in Universities and Research Institutions will Benefit Both Science and Scientists

As the number of science researchers grows in India, existing science academics need to consider how they can contribute meaningfully to support this growth of younger colleagues working in a range of academic environments. The introduction of formal mentorship mechanisms for academics at all steps of their career is currently insufficiently appreciated and could be transformative in a broad sense. Formal mentoring structures that permeate widely across all nature of academic and research organizations are infrequent, patchy and more often than not missing altogether. These would be beneficial for several reasons. In science especially, mentoring at appropriate stages can help the mentee take good decisions on a range of issues that affect their own careers and importantly, also of younger colleagues working with them. In addition to providing support mechanisms related to career progression, mentoring can help emphasize the importance of following correct ethical practices in the organization and in interactions with students and other laboratory personnel. If done thoroughly at the individual level and at sufficient scale across institutions, the existence of a good mentoring culture will increase scientifically meaningful success stories. Over time this will also help improve the general perception of why public money needs to be spent on teaching and research.

Sean Wu.

Sean Wu.

William Harvey and the Discovery of the Circulation of the Blood

William Harvey and the Discovery of the Circulation of the Blood

Expectations and experiences of final-year medical students regarding family medicine rural rotations: Influence on intention to practise in a rural setting

Background. During recent years, a shortage of medical practitioners has been reported in rural underserved areas of South Africa (SA). The Division of Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town (UCT), SA, implemented a voluntary 4-week rural rotation in Vredenburg, West Coast District, in 2011 in response to the need for rural training to be included in the medical curriculum. The reason for the decline in the number of students making use of this opportunity, is unknown; therefore, a compulsory 1-week rural rotation, as part of the final-year 4-week clerkship, was implemented in 2015. The rationale for this intervention was to ensure a sustainable rural learning environment and to highlight the need to explore students’ expectations and experiences with regard to the rural rotation. Objectives. To explore the expectations and experiences of 6th-year medical students regarding the family medicine rural rotation, and to identify factors that may influence return to a rural setting after graduation. Methods. A qualitative study design was used. Sixth-year medical students ( n =31) participated in the pre-rural focus group discussions (FGDs), and 28 in the post-rural FDGs. A content analysis method was used to identify key themes. Results. Key themes for student expectations included programme content, clinical experiences, language barriers and physical environment. Themes for student experiences related to environment and resources, programme content and clinical experience, language barriers and logistics. Positive experiences included good mentorship, autonomy to perform procedures and improved preparedness for internship. Negative experiences included inadequate clinical exposure and time allocation. Most students expressed an intention to enter rural practice; reasons included effective teamwork and making a difference. Conclusions. Student expectations of the rural rotation varied from feelings of apprehension about language barriers to programme content and clinical experience. However, the majority were excited about the potential clinical exposure in a rural setting. Positive experiences related to student expectations being met and working independently while supervised by good mentors. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that all medical students, irrespective of geographical background, should be exposed to rural medicine in the undergraduate curriculum

Coaching or mentoring?

Would you make a good mentor or coach? With these approaches forming a core part of professional development and support in schools, John Dabell looks at what makes for effective practice

Tips for choosing academic mentors

Education Having good mentors is critical in any career. In academia, most researchers train under just one or two graduate and/or postdoctoral mentors; however, little is known about how this mentorship affects the mentee's career. Lienard et al. analyzed an open-access database of 18,856 researchers to determine if graduate or postdoctoral mentors have a greater impact on trainee careers. Results show that although postdoctoral mentors were more influential in trainees' success, the breadth of training between graduate and postdoctoral mentors was also predictive. Trainees working under mentors with disparate expertise, who were then able to integrate both sets of expertise into their own work, had higher levels of academic success. Advice to future scientists: Consider mentors who will teach you diverse, yet complementary, skill sets. Nat. Commun. 9 , 4840 (2018).

A literature review exploring student midwives' experiences of continuity of mentorship on the labour ward

Background Continuity of mentorship is central to students' clinical placement experience. Despite a plethora of studies investigating student-mentor relationships and how it affects grading, limited attention has been paid to the extent to which a lack of continuity of mentorship affects placement experience. Aims To explore the importance of mentor continuity on labour ward for pre-registration midwifery students. Methods A database search was conducted using the terms: ‘student midwives’, ‘continuity’, ‘mentor’, ‘preceptor’, ‘mentorship’, ‘labour ward’, ‘delivery suite’ and ‘experiences.’ Findings Continuity of mentorship enhances learning and improves clinical practice experience. Conclusions A lack of continuity affects all aspects of student midwives’ experiences of the labour ward. Good mentor practice should focus on continuity and the introduction of co-mentoring, where a student is mentored by at least 2 midwives, in order to reduce the strain on mentors while retaining the feeling of belonging that student midwives value.

RGB-NIR image categorization with prior knowledge transfer

Recent development on image categorization, especially scene categorization, shows that the combination of standard visible RGB image data and near-infrared (NIR) image data performs better than RGB-only image data. However, the size of RGB-NIR image collection is often limited due to the difficulty of acquisition. With limited data, it is difficult to extract effective features using the common deep learning networks. It is observed that humans are able to learn prior knowledge from other tasks or a good mentor, which is helpful to solve the learning problems with limited training samples. Inspired by this observation, we propose a novel training methodology for introducing the prior knowledge into a deep architecture, which allows us to bypass the burdensome labeling large quantity of image data to meet the big data requirements in deep learning. At first, transfer learning is adopted to learn single modal features from a large source database, such as ImageNet. Then, a knowledge distillation method is explored to fuse the RGB and NIR features. Finally, a global optimization method is employed to fine-tune the entire network. The experimental results on two RGB-NIR datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed approach in comparison with the state-of-the-art multi-modal image categorization methods.

Does Having Been Mentored Affect Subsequent Mentoring?

How to be an effective mentor is typically not taught formally because good mentoring is thought to beget good mentoring, but there is little concrete data to support that connection. Scholars in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Nurse Faculty Scholars (NFS) program were surveyed to find out if the mentoring they received influenced their subsequent mentoring. The qualities that form the Mentorship Effectiveness Scale were used to investigate if the experience changed scholars' views of mentoring; open-ended questions provided an opportunity for scholars to describe additional insights. Thirty-nine out of 93 scholars (42%) replied. Scholars were influenced by the mentoring they received: they were now more inclined to give guidance on professional issues, provide constructive critiques, suggest resources, acknowledge mentees' contributions, and challenge mentees to extend their abilities. Scholars' experiences made them more aware of the power of mentoring, provided them with insights into how they might do the same, convinced them that mentoring shouldn't be confined to one advisor, made them realize that one style of mentoring doesn't work for everyone, and improved their likelihood of using an individual development plan when they mentored. Effective mentoring does seem to beget effective mentoring because the interaction with mentors seems to leave a lasting impression and the perceived obligation to "pay it forward."

Statements of Mentorship.

The Landis Award for Outstanding Mentorship was created in 2018 by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) to recognize that “mentorship and training are critical to the development of exceptional future scientists” and to honor the legacy of former NINDS Director Story Landis, PhD, in mentoring generations of neuroscientists. I was honored to be nominated by my mentees and then selected by the committee as part of the inaugural group that received the award. While profoundly touched by the recognition, I am the first to admit that in mentoring, my aspirations exceed my capacities or training (and anybody who has worked in my lab will be the second to admit that). My mentorship skills are a work in progress. Yet unlike scientific ideas, which are also “works in progress” that benefit from the critiques of our peers, mentoring approaches seldom benefit from the comments and wisdom of our colleagues and mentees. For example, I must have written, in the 10 years I have been faculty member, dozens of research statements and plans, progress reports, and grants that have all benefited from the collective wisdom of my colleagues and mentees. My science is better for it. Yet, when it comes to one of the most important activities I do, the training of mentees, it was in preparing for the Landis Award that I wrote my very first Statement of Mentorship. To be sure, one could argue that writing a Statement of Mentorship is not necessary or even important to being a good mentor. That the tasks necessary for being a good mentor are self-evident. Some might even argue that the best way to be a good mentor is to focus solely on the scientific ideas, not so much on the individual mentee. Yet I would argue that the …

Profiles of women in science: Prof. Marina Picciotto of the Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.

Profiles of women in science: Prof. Marina Picciotto of the Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.

From staff nurse to nurse consultant Continuing professional development part 6: Mentoring and being mentored.

John Fowler, Educational Consultant, explores CPD for the clinically based nurse, looking at the qualities that make a good mentor and the times in a nursing career when mentoring is particularly helpful.

Mentorship programs in the manufacturing industry

PurposeThis paper aims to present a literature review of studies of mentorship programs in the manufacturing industry so as to lay a theoretical basis for learning at work.Design/methodology/approachA literature review with focus on mentorship programs in the manufacturing industry was used. A search for relevant peer-reviewed articles, in four databases, rendered 315 hits, but only one article dealt with mentorship programs in an industry similar to the manufacturing industry. Thus, it is concluded that there is a lack of research on this area. The selection criteria were broadened so as to include 16 articles on mentorship programs for learning at work.FindingsThree dominant areas emerged from this review: definitions of mentorship, characteristics of a good mentor and mentorship program structures. The establishment of a mentorship program requires a clear purpose; contextual knowledge; and adaption to the profession, the organization and to individual needs. In addition to their findings, the authors discuss relationships in mentoring programs, what can be understood by “reading between the lines” and the ongoing digitalization of mentorship programs.Originality/valueMentorship has proven itself to be a superior way to learn on the job. This paper provides practical information about establishing mentorship programs in the manufacturing industry, with a particular focus on the moulding industry.