Informal Mentoring Research Articles

165. Wellness Needs Assessment In Adolescent Medicine Trainees: An Appreciative Inquiry Approach To Quality Improvement

There is an increasing awareness of the impact of medical training on the mental health and wellbeing of medical students, residents, and fellows. The prevalence of depressive episodes is estimated to be nearly 30% among resident physicians (1). There are currently no specific studies addressing the effect of medical training on the mental health of senior trainees, such as subspecialty fellows. The purpose of this study is to conduct a needs assessment of past and present Adolescent Medicine trainees at the Hospital for Sick Children to determine areas of need with respect to psychological and emotional well-being. We conducted a needs assessment of current and former subspecialty trainees utilizing an appreciative inquiry approach. Appreciative inquiry is a qualitative method of organizational development to understand transformational change from a positive light. It is used to recognize areas that require improvement while also appreciate the successes of an organization. Qualitative responses were collected through an electronic survey. Trainees were asked to reflect on a difficult time where they emerged resilient, what promoted resilience in the learning environment, what are the characteristics of an ideal learning environment, and what changes need to be made to achieve such an environment. Responses were coded using thematic analysis by two members of the project team. 20 surveys were distributed, and there were 15 responses (75% responses rate) with 6 current trainees (40% of respondents) and 9 past trainees (60% of respondents). Analysis highlighted 4 key themes related to the wellness needs of current and former Adolescent Medicine trainees: 1) Adolescent Medicine trainees experience significant emotional burden in their clinical work 2) Uncertainty at different stages in training is a source of stress 3) The culture of the work environment contributes to wellness 4) Trainees seek support from individual relationships and formal systems. Adolescent medicine trainees experience challenges to their psychological wellbeing. Such difficulties include clinical challenges such as a high level of vicarious trauma from working with specific vulnerable and marginalized populations. Trainees also navigate complex patient and family interactions when working with a youth with evolving capacity and independence and the youth’s family system. This needs assessment demonstrated that senior level trainees Wellness needs relate primarily to advanced self-actualization needs, as opposed to more basic needs such as fatigue and nutrition management. Adolescent medicine trainees can be supported through career development, clarity at points of transition, formalized psychological support mechanisms such as Balint Groups, as well as informal mentorship relationships.

What They May Not Tell You and You May Not Know to Ask: What is Expected of Surgeons in Their First Year of Independent Practice

The objective of this study was to explore the views and expectations that practicing general surgeons have of their junior colleagues who have recently finished training. This is a qualitative study performed using focus group data consisting of open-ended questions concentrating on essential qualities and attributes of surgeons, behaviors observed in newly-graduated surgeons, and appropriate oversight of junior partners. Qualitative analysis was performed using grounded theory methodology with transcripts coded by 3 independent reviewers. Focus groups were conducted with surgeons practicing in rural and urban community settings. Focus groups consisted of practicing general surgeons throughout the state of Oregon. Focus groups were comprised of 31 practicing surgeons (10 female, 21 male) with varying ages and levels of experience practicing in both rural and urban environments. Qualitative analysis revealed the need for surgeons with strong interpersonal skills, teamwork, judgment, and broad technical skills who possess the appropriate amount of confidence and know when to ask for help. Frequently noted themes identified, included not knowing when to ask for help, overconfidence or underconfidence, as well as lack of judgment and lack of either quality or breadth of technical skill. Current oversight included direct observation, subjective evaluations from staff and colleagues, analysis of outcomes/quality, and either formal or informal mentorship arrangements. This study highlights the need for graduating surgeons to be competent in multiple domains. The importance of knowing when to ask for help was stressed by practicing surgeons in both the rural and urban community setting, but is underemphasized in residency training, possibly due to less indirect resident supervision. Surgeons also emphasized the importance of mentorship, as professional growth continues long after completion of training.

Defining Mentorship in Prehospital Care: A Qualitative Analysis of the Characteristics of Prehospital Mentors

<p><strong>Introduction</strong></p><p><span>This study sought to begin to define the current understanding of the term mentor within the prehospital environment (emergency medical services or EMS) as described by nomination letters written by mentees for a newly launched prehospital mentor award.</span><br /><br /><strong>Methods</strong></p><p><span>The John Ross Paramedic Mentor Award was created in the fall of 2015 to recognize outstanding mentors in prehospital care. In the spring of 2016, nineteen nomination letters were received from registered prehospital professionals in Alberta detailing why their mentor should receive the mentor award. Written text from the nominations for this peer nominated award were analyzed using thematic and content analysis (n=19) to identify the current understanding of mentorship in EMS, desirable qualities of prehospital mentors, and what a successful mentoring relationship looks like in the prehospital environment from the perspective of mentees. Demographic data of the mentees and mentors were obtained. </span><br /><br /><strong>Results</strong></p><p><span>Mentees and nominated mentors had varying years of experience, worked in diverse practice areas within prehospital care and represented varying scopes of practice (PCPs and ACPs). Three themes were identified from thematic analysis of the nomination letters 1) nominators seek to emulate their mentors, 2) mentors create a safe and nurturing environment, and 3) mentors act as advocates. In addition, content analysis was used to identify a number of desirable professional and personal traits of prehospital mentors.</span><br /><br /><strong>Conclusion</strong></p><p><span>This study describes the qualities of prehospital mentors and identifies a number of common elements in a successful mentoring relationship (from the perspective of the mentee). These results highlight exceptional mentoring that is already occurring within the prehospital care environment. This research has the potential to provide guidance to those who aim to support both formal and informal mentoring within the prehospital care environment.</span></p>

Take a Researcher to Lunch: Informal Mentoring for Researchers

Take a Researcher to Lunch: Informal Mentoring for Researchers

Spewing nonsense [or not]: communication competence and socialization in optics and photonics workplaces

ABSTRACTThis study investigated how managers, entry-level employees, and hiring professionals in the optics and photonics industry socialize each other to enact the communication norms and expectations in their workplaces. A qualitative analysis of transcripts from interviews conducted with 33 employees at 15 companies produced five prevalent themes related to what optics and photonics employees consider competent communication (proactive questioning, efficient decision-making, familial-like humor, tactful translation, and fluent modality switching) and three socialization processes (presumed competence, informal mentoring, and structured training). These competencies and processes necessitate what we term cross-occupational communication: an interactive, iterative process involving communicative needs assessment, information exchange, and rhetorical/situational flexibility with groups distinct in background, training, and occupational role. It is difficult to create workplace-like experiences that truly capture the field-specific communication practices involved in organizational socialization within traditional classrooms; therefore, we argue for systematic and intentional communication in the disciplines instruction that considers cross-occupational communication needs in the workforce.

Mentoring and gender: perception is not reality

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore whether the disconnect between mentoring theory, which posits that women receive less workplace mentoring than men, and empirical results, which have found that women report equivalent or more mentoring received than men, is due to differences in perception rather than in actual mentoring provided.Design/methodology/approachUsing an MTurk sample of working adults (n=251), a 2 (protégé/participant gender: male/female) × 2 (mentor gender: male/female) × 3 (amount of mentoring: high/medium/low) between-subjects experimental design was tested. This approach held relationship characteristics constant, allowing for an examination of the role of gender in mentoring perceptions.FindingsGender was associated with the way protégés viewed a mentoring relationship and their reports of mentoring received. When identical relationships were described, women were more likely than men to identify a senior colleague as a mentor, and protégés in heterogeneous gender mentoring relationships reported more mentoring received than those in homogeneous gender relationships.Research limitations/implicationsWhen examining mentoring, perceptual differences need to be considered before drawing conclusions.Practical implicationsThis study calls into question findings of equivalent mentoring – refocusing attention on the importance of informal mentoring for improving women’s workplace outcomes.Originality/valueUsing an experimental design that holds relationship characteristics constant, this study is able to examine whether perceptions of mentoring are affected by gender. No study has previously done so, and results from the current study help to explain why there has been a disconnect between theory and empirical results.

The Impact of Cognitive Accuracy on Individual Position and Attitudes in Informal Mentoring Networks

Drawing upon mentoring theory and cognitive social network research, this study explores the mediating mechanism how an individual¡¯s accuracy in perceiving intra-organizational mentoring ties influences general attitudinal outcomes (i.e., organizational commitment and job satisfaction) via his or her mentoring network centrality. Cognitive accuracy in mentoring network perception indicates the extent to which an individual accurately perceives the mentoring relationships among the organizational members. This study hypothesizes individual accuracy in mentoring network perception positively relates to his or her eigenvector centrality (i.e., to what extent an individual is connected to ¡°well-connected¡± others) in the same network and also hypothesizes individual centrality positively mediates the relationship between mentoring network accuracy and individual attitudes. Cognitive social structure data were collected from 23 individuals working in a small for-profit organization in the Korean IT industry. Based on the social network analyses of 23 by 23 matrices of each of 23 individuals, mentoring network accuracy and eigenvector centrality were extracted. The regression-based bootstrapping analyses supported all hypotheses. While previous mentoring research has focused on the relationship between participation in mentoring experience and individual attitudes, this study found a new path to enhanced individual attitudes focusing on an individual¡¯s central position based on the accurate perception of the structure in the mentoring network.

Promoting Careers in Neurology: Mentorship of Medical Students.

Research in neurological disorders is expanding at a phenomenal pace, and the need for neurologists is increasing as the population ages. This results in a critical requirement for medical students entering the neurology pipeline. Mentoring, whether formal or informal, ensures that students are inspired and supported to enter the field of neurology. Students should also receive structured mentoring throughout their longitudinal curriculum. Informal mentoring programs enable expanded opportunities for collaborations in education, research, and outreach. Faculty, residents, fellow medical students, and other health professionals all participate in medical student mentoring. Each relationship offers unique aspects to individual growth and development. Specific programmatic guidance and mentoring qualities are presented in this paper.

The relationship of advocacy and mentorship with female accountants' career success

Despite being the majority of new graduates for three decades, female accountants have not proportionately risen to the top of corporations or public accounting firms. Mentoring has been championed as an important variable in women's advancement, yet to date no research has examined how mentoring may be associated with improved career success measures such as organizational level and salary attained by female accountants. This study utilizes survey responses from almost 900 female accountants to assess the relationship between having a mentor and objective career outcomes, as well as beliefs about future promotions. We consider whether career success outcomes and beliefs about future promotions differ based upon mentor origin, mentor gender and mentor functions provided. Results indicate that having a mentor is associated with greater career advancement outcomes. Relationships that are characterized by stronger career development functions are associated with a higher perceived likelihood of promotion, and having a male mentor is associated with higher compensation and higher organizational level. Informal mentoring relationships are also associated with higher compensation and organizational level, supporting findings of previous research that suggests benefits of formal mentoring relationships are somewhat limited.

The effect of preparation strategies, qualification and professional background on clinical nurse educator confidence.

To describe how clinical nurse educators (CliNEs) in Vietnam are prepared for their role; to identify which preparation strategies assist development of confidence in clinical teaching; and to measure the effect of educational qualifications and professional background on perceived confidence levels. The quality of clinical teaching can directly affect the quality of the student learning experience. The role of the clinical educator is complex and dynamic and requires a period of adjustment for successful role transition to occur. Planned orientation and specific preparation programmes assist transition and reduce anxiety for new CliNEs. There is, however, a lack of clear evidence to identify the form this preparation should take or which strategies are likely to facilitate the development of role confidence. Descriptive survey study. Cross-sectional surveys were used to collect data from 334 CliNEs during January-March 2015. Eight preparation methods commonly used in Vietnam were identified. There was a small yet significant association between preparation and CliNEs' perceived confidence. Formal preparation methods, and postgraduate qualifications and years of clinical teaching experience were linked to increased confidence in clinical teaching. Conversely, informal mentorship was found to hinder confidence development. This study identifies several preparation strategies that significantly enhance clinical educator confidence and readiness for their complex role. These preparation strategies drawn from the Vietnamese context, provide important examples for the wider nursing community to consider.

The Availability and Effectiveness of Research Supports for Early Career Academic Librarians

For many academic librarians, scholarly research is required in order to attain tenure or promotion and it is widely acknowledged that many early career librarians find this process challenging. Using a survey of >200 untenured or recently tenured academic librarians, this study investigates early career academic librarians' access to and experiences with research support activities designed to develop research skills and confidence. Specific attention is paid to informal mentoring, formal mentoring programs, and writing groups. Responses indicate that early career librarians need supports that target three dimensions of the research experience: research design and methods; work practices and accountability; and emotional elements. Despite this, survey respondents had limited access to formal research supports that offer instruction and guidance in the research process, leaving them to rely heavily on informal mentoring. This study highlights the need for libraries and library organizations to invest their resources in research supports for early career academic librarians, helping them to become more effective and confident researchers.

Mentorship in Orthopedics: A National Survey of Orthopedic Surgery Residents

Mentorship is an important component of graduate medical education. It has been associated with numerous benefits including personal development, increased career satisfaction, and reduced stress and burnout. The purpose of this study was to assess orthopedic resident attitudes regarding mentorship and to determine if there were sociodemographic differences. A total of 243 orthopedic surgery residents completed this 25-item mixed response questionnaire. Nearly two-thirds of residents conveyed that their training program either had a formal or informal mentorship program, and 95.8% of residents indicated that they believed mentorship played an important role with respect to their development as an orthopedic resident. Minorities were more likely to have a mentor that was obtained while they were in medical school, less likely to have multiple mentors, and more likely to be dissatisfied with the quality of mentorship in residency. Females were more likely to pursue a mentor on their own. Overall, 31% of orthopedic residents were classified as experiencing burnout. There was no difference in the prevalence of mentorship in respondents experiencing burnout, but they were more likely to be unsatisfied with the quality of mentorship in residency. Finally, only two-thirds of residency programs have mentorship programs despite the fact that the vast majority of orthopedic residents believe that the mentorship plays an important role in their development as surgeons. Given these findings, future work should focus on identifying and addressing race and sex-based mentorship disparities while simultaneously working to improve access to mentorship for all residents.

Community college minority female administrators as mentors of minority female students

PurposeMinority female students are increasingly faced with issues such as financial instability, work-family imbalance, and few growth opportunities in their careers. Within the context of community colleges, the presence of minority female administrators may serve as a venue for the empowerment and attainment of academic and professional goals for minority female students through administrators’ mentoring practices. The purpose of this paper is to explore the lived experience of community college minority female administrators in their role as informal mentors to community college minority female students.Design/methodology/approachThe author used a qualitative phenomenological approach to explore community college minority female administrators’ experiences as mentors of female minority students. Mullen’s (2009) alternative mentoring model guided the study as well as a feminist lens. The purposive sample included six minority female administrators from two Florida community colleges, with individual interviews based on 18 open-ended questions. Data were analyzed with Atlas.ti™ qualitative software.FindingsThe findings uncovered four common themes and seven subthemes regarding the experience of informal mentoring as a minority female administrator: facilitating empowerment with two subthemes – modeling and coaching; administrator-student relationship with three subthemes – encouragement, life experiences, and past mentors; personal growth; and formalized mentoring with two subthemes – create a support system and access to information.Research limitations/implicationsIn any study, phenomenological or otherwise, the researcher’s biases may cloud the data analysis process, and the researcher may code the data incorrectly or leave out crucial information during the transcription of the interview. It was essential for the author to understand the concept of epochè to bracket the author’s own experiences as a minority female (Bloomberg and Volpe, 2012). The purposeful sample was small and only focused on one region in the US, and the study’s findings may not be transferable to other contexts.Originality/valueMinority female administrators’ experiences mentoring minority female students have not been comprehensively explored in the scholarly realm; hence, their mentoring journey is unknown. The study sought to shatter that silence and create a dialogue that will hopefully continue in the field of mentoring.

Developing the Upcoming Generation of Leaders in the Workplace

This project is designed to understand the different generations coexisting in the workplace and create recommendations for corporate leadership on most effectively managing and developing leadership competencies in the younger generation. This investigation, examined through secondary sources and interviews with 20-35 year-olds, provides insight on the tools upcoming leaders need in order to build on current corporate success. Current research from psychology and business journals, and publications released by consulting companies and other sources was consolidated to evaluate the status of the workforce given the recent generational spread. Interviews were conducted with twelve employees and consultants from various industries in Calgary to understand their workplace values, definition of effective leadership, career aspirations, and views on their needs from current employers. Gen Yer’s and Traditionalists want to learn from one another in order to combine skills and strengths. This learning should take the form of both structured and informal mentorship as well as 360-degree feedback. The incoming generation wants a company to invest in them, which many companies are reluctant towards because they accurately believe Gen Xer’s and Yer’s have less longevity. The paradox lies in the reality that this generation is drawn to an environment in which their capacity for learning and opportunities are extensive. They are eager to build their careers with a company that helps them access a range of experiences, understand the ‘big picture’, and fosters challenging and meaningful work. Younger workers expect a culture of transparency, teams over hierarchies, respect for personal life, and trust.

Black psychology graduate students’ lives matter: Using informal mentoring to create an inclusive climate amidst national race-related events.

Black psychology graduate students’ lives matter: Using informal mentoring to create an inclusive climate amidst national race-related events.

Field experiments: psychonauts’ efforts to reduce the harm of old and new drugs at music festivals

The effects and risks of the myriad novel substances circulating at music festivals are poorly understood by many paramedics, police, and other support staff. It is often the drug enthusiasts known as psychonauts, who experiment with new substances and document their experiences using procedures and discourses drawn from science, who possess the most extensive and up-to-date information. Concerned about harm arising from misinformation, especially regarding novel substances, many psychonauts attend festivals hoping to help reduce it. However, the chaotic yet heavily policed festival environments can complicate their efforts. This article draws on participant observation and interviews with psychonauts at transformational festivals, supported by an online qualitative survey, to examine their three harm reduction strategies: volunteering as peer support workers (‘sitters’) at drug crisis care spaces, informal mentoring, and ‘responsible dealing’ (carefully sourcing and dispensing the drugs themselves). It also considers the impact of festival settings and their drug policy environments. Understanding of drug experiences gave psychonaut sitters and mentors advantages over other festival support workers, but tough policing practices fostered mistrust of sitters and increased the risks of ‘responsible dealing’. Ultimately, psychonauts’ ‘scientific’ approach may be more effective as a reassuring discursive strategy than a practical way of reducing harm.

Academic Librarian Research: An Update to a Survey of Attitudes, Involvement, and Perceived Capabilities

This article reports the results of a 2015 survey that updates and extends the authors’ 2010 survey of academic librarians, to learn of the current state of their attitudes, involvement, and perceived capabilities in the research process. A key change in the 2015 survey is the use of an expanded research confidence scale, designed by the authors. They also added questions on research training and institutional support for research. The results of this survey add to the growing body of research examining the success factors for librarian-researchers. Research self-efficacy continues to be a predictor of research success. Institutional support for research, including both formal and informal mentorship, is increasing and associated with research success.

Mentoring Processes in Higher Education: Perspectives of Junior Athletic Training Faculty Members

Purpose: Mentorship is a valuable mechanism of socializing faculty members to higher education, but understanding of how mentoring relationships develop is limited. The purpose of this study was to seek a more complete understanding of how mentoring relationships develop for junior faculty members, and how these effective mentoring relationships can be fostered. Method: A qualitative, phenomenological design was used to examine junior athletic training faculty members’ experiences with mentoring. Twenty athletic training faculty members: 14 women, 6 men, 32±3 years of age and averaged 2.4±2.1 years as a full-time faculty member in an accredited athletic training program participated in this study. Participants completed one telephone interview, which was audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed with an inductive phenomenological approach. Data saturation was obtained Trustworthiness strategies included peer review and the use of multi-analyst triangulation. Results: Junior faculty participated in informal and formal mentoring relationships that evolved over time, which aided their transition from doctoral student to full-time faculty member. Additionally, mentoring relationships were strengthened when participants took initiative, engaged in the relationship, and set clear goals. Mentors who exhibit good communication skills, willingness to participate, and genuine interest in the mentee are particularly valuable. Conclusions: Both formal and informal mentoring experiences appear to be valuable for junior faculty members, particularly informal relationships. If institutional mentoring programs are lacking then junior faculty should seek out additional mentoring opportunities. These findings also confirm existing literature on effective mentoring characteristics.

PROTOCOL: Electronic mentoring to promote positive youth outcomes for young people under 25: a systematic review.

PROTOCOL: Electronic mentoring to promote positive youth outcomes for young people under 25: a systematic review.

Illuminating constellations of peer mentoring: The case of Music programmes in Higher Education

Formal peer mentoring schemes are often viewed as supportive mechanisms enabling individuals to engage with role models to scaffold the acquisition of social capital that aids successful transition between different educational or professional environments and to inspire and motivate decision-making processes. This study explores the findings of mentor exit interviews conducted at the end of a pilot peer-mentoring scheme to support aspirations for progression into postgraduate study that was delivered within a UK conservatoire’s Faculty of Music. These exit interviews illuminated constellations of informal mentoring platforms, implicit within multiple sites where the ‘horizontal’ structure of music programmes (UK FHEQ levels 4–7) intersects with principal instrumental study and associated activities structured in ‘vertical’ departments. The findings suggested that these reflexive multi-directional exchanges are not formally conceptualised as ‘mentoring’ but recognised within the subject area, and hold potential transformative power in supporting students in their transition throughout higher education and beyond.