Mentor Characteristics Research Articles

Warning! This is not your typical mentor training: an invitation to explore a video-based mentor training to prepare mentor teachers for their roles in the classroom

PurposeThe purpose of this conceptual paper is to define and explore the roles of mentors, the responsibilities and even misconceptions of their position in partnership schools, the characteristics of effective mentors, the gaps that exist in current mentor training and the need for updated and forward-thinking flexible and accessible mentor training as it relates to improvements in University Teacher Preparation Programs and their partnership schools.Design/methodology/approachThe authors detail the process of interviewing a diverse population of mentors and teacher candidates (TCs) who have participated in our professional development (partnership) schools. See Appendices A and B for parallel questions posed during each interview process. Following the interviews, data were gathered in both text and video-based formats to create mentor training video modules to improve the current state of mentor training in our program. Themes were identified following an analysis of both interview intakes, and modules were created to align with these themes.FindingsFollowing the first rounds of implementation, the authors have reflected and noted that a need for an even more diverse population of both mentors and interns to be interviewed is necessary moving forward. The authors do note an appreciation by mentors and university partners in the quality, flexibility and accessibility that this new video module-based mentor training program provides.Practical implicationsThe video-based mentor training modules that the authors detail honor the needs of both new and returning mentors. Via the interviews with teacher candidates, mentors are able to empathize and understand how to be better mentors to their future TCs. Via the scenarios and questions that follow each thematically driven module, mentors are able to independently reflect on their current practices and ways to improve their roles. At any point in the internship year, mentors can return to the video training modules to review and thus improve their practice.Social implicationsMentors, university supervisors, teacher candidates and site coordinators (those individuals who identify mentors in their buildings) note improvement in their ability to communicate effectively as a result of being presented with video modules and reflections about the role of mentors from both mentors and TCs.Originality/valueThe authors were called on by leadership in the College of Education at the University to create this original mentor training video module. It is unique to the College of Education at the University. Great value exists in its accessibility, adaptability (we can upload new videos at any time) and representation of both the mentor and TC perceptions, suggestions and experiences in our program.

Mentorship of Junior Surgical Faculty Across Academic Programs in Surgery

Because mentorship is critical for professional development and career advancement, it is essential to examine the status of mentorship and identify challenges that junior surgical faculty (assistant and associate professors) face obtaining effective mentorship. To evaluate the mentorship experience for junior surgical faculty and highlight areas for improvement. This qualitative study was an explanatory sequential mixed-methods study including an anonymous survey on mentorship followed by semistructured interviews to expand on survey findings. Junior surgical faculty from 18 US academic surgery programs were included in the anonymous survey and interviews. Survey responses between "formal" (assigned by the department) vs "informal" (sought out by the faculty) mentors and male vs female junior faculty were compared using χ2 tests. Interview responses were analyzed for themes until thematic saturation was achieved. Survey responses were collected from November 2022 to August 2023, and interviews conducted from July to December 2023. Mentorship from formal and/or informal mentors. Survey gauged the availability and satisfaction with formal and informal mentorship; interviews assessed broad themes regarding mentorship. Of 825 survey recipients, 333 (40.4%) responded; 155 (51.7%) were male and 134 (44.6%) female. Nearly all respondents (319 [95.8%]) agreed or strongly agreed that mentorship is important to their surgical career, especially for professional networking (309 respondents [92.8%]), career advancement (301 [90.4%]), and research (294 [88.3%]). However, only 58 respondents (18.3%) had a formal mentor. More female than male faculty had informal mentors (123 [91.8%] vs 123 [79.4%]; P = .003). Overall satisfaction was higher with informal mentorship than formal mentorship (221 [85.0%] vs 40 [69.0%]; P = .01). Most male and female faculty reported no preferences in gender or race and ethnicity for their mentors. When asked if they had good mentor options if they wanted to change mentors, 141 (47.8%) responded no. From the interviews (n = 20), 6 themes were identified, including absence of mentorship infrastructure, preferred mentor characteristics, and optimizing mentorship. Academic junior surgical faculty agree mentorship is vital to their careers. However, this study found that few had formal mentors and almost half need more satisfactory options if they want to change mentors. Academic surgical programs should adopt a framework for facilitating mentorship and optimize mentor-mentee relationships through alignment of mentor-mentee goals and needs.

Institutional factors that affect faculty mentoring in academic nursing programs

BackgroundMentoring in academic nursing facilitates the acclimation of nurse faculty into academia, supports career development, and improves faculty satisfaction and retention. While studies have examined the characteristics of effective mentors, few have examined institutional influences on academic mentoring for faculty. PurposeTo identify institutional factors that support or hinder faculty-to-faculty academic mentoring from the perspectives of experienced nurse faculty mentors. MethodA qualitative descriptive approach was used to identify institutional factors that impact academic mentoring. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with experienced nurse faculty (n = 24) about their mentoring experiences. Remarks related to institutional factors were analyzed using conventional content analysis. ResultsFive institutional factors that supported mentoring were identified: (1) support of unit leaders, (2) established processes and policies, (3) mentoring development opportunities, (4) faculty-to-faculty support, and (5) faculty rewards. Six institutional factors that hindered mentoring were identified: (1) lack of support of unit leaders, (2) limited mentoring development opportunities, (3) heavy workloads that restrict mentoring, (4) limited pool of mentors, (5) inadequate faculty rewards for mentoring, and (6) limited oversight of faculty mentoring. ConclusionThe identification of institutional factors that support or hinder mentoring can inform academic leaders and program administrators in their efforts to strengthen mentoring.

The second victim phenomenon: A qualitative study among bachelor’s degree nursing students within the clinical learning environment

AimThis study explores and describes the second victim phenomenon in nursing students in association with the characteristics of the clinical learning environment and the clinical supervision process. DesignQualitative design using conventional content analysis and summative content analysis approaches. MethodsFrom September 2022 to July 2023, in-depth semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 10 undergraduate nursing students. ResultsSix main themes were developed: ‘defining the physical and psychological responses after the most significant patient safety incident’, ‘analyzing the characteristics of patient safety incidents’, ‘creating a safe learning environment to provide the best care for patients’, ‘developing mentorship capabilities and qualities for an ideal follow up of students as a second victim’, ‘providing resources and integrating support structures to second victim nursing students during their clinical learning’, and ‘considering the cooperation and coordination between the health institution and the higher education institutions.’ ConclusionNursing students become second victims during their clinical placement. The clinical learning environment and mentoring characteristics influence the second victim experience.

Cultural influences on internship development value and job pursuit intention: An exploratory comparison of student experiences in France and the United States

Internships are increasingly becoming an essential facet of a student's portfolio because of demonstrated linkages with employability and career opportunities. While undergraduate internships have expanded globally, most studies have examined the relationship between internship characteristics and student outcomes within a single country. In this cross-cultural study, we examine the generalizability of existing findings using survey data from 210 university students in France and the United States (U.S.). Results showed that in both countries the internship characteristics of supervisor support and mentoring, autonomy, and task goal clarity positively relate to student perceptions of the developmental value of their internship and job pursuit intention with the intern-host. However, the nature of these relationships varies, with U.S. students benefiting more from greater autonomy, while French students benefit more from increased supervisor mentoring. Contrary to expectations, increased task goal clarity led to poorer outcomes for French students. We discuss the implications of our findings for students and higher education institutions, intern-host organizations, and future cross-cultural research on internships.

Factors that influence the formation and impact of mentorship relationships for OB/GYN residents

Background Mentorship is critical for successful careers in academic medicine. There is a gap in the literature regarding specific qualities that make effective mentorship relationships for Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN) residents. This study aimed to identify the attributes most valued by OB/GYN residents in their mentorship relationships and to explore the factors influencing their choice of mentors. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey among OB/GYN residents, distributed electronically November 2021-March 2022. Demographic data, mentor qualities, satisfaction with current mentorship and mentee factors were identified. The survey incorporated questions adapted from the validated Ideal Mentor Scale assessing three mentor attributes: Integrity, Guidance, and Relationship. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, Student’s t-tests, chi-squared tests, and Fisher’s Exact tests where appropriate. Results 48 of 60 (80%) of surveyed residents responded. Among the respondents, 72.9% were female and 29.1% identified as non-white. Integrity emerged as the most valued Ideal Mentor attribute. No statistically significant gender-based differences were observed in the preferences for mentor characteristics including gender of a mentor. Non-white respondents placed greater importance on having a mentor of the same race (p<0.01). Residents interested in subspecialties expressed a stronger preference for mentors with fellowship training (p<0.01) and shared research experiences (p=0.03). Conclusions OB/GYN residents seek mentors characterized by integrity and who are active in research and professional societies aligned with their interests. The data highlight the importance of considering race and subspecialty preferences in fostering influential and equitable mentorship for all residents.

When perceived similarity overrides demographic similarity: examining influences on STEM students’ developmental mentor networks

BackgroundWhile dyadic faculty–mentored relationship research currently saturates the mentoring literature, recent developments suggest the need for a broader consideration of a student's mentor network. Research taking a network approach may provide deeper insights into the formation and benefits of mentorship for undergraduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Utilizing Developmental Mentor Network Theory and ego-centric social network analysis, this pre-registered study evaluates how the characteristics of mentees and mentors relate to both the content of support and structure of mentor networks in a large sample of White and Hispanic/Latino(a) STEM undergraduates across 12 universities.ResultsResults were nuanced but showed that perceived psychological similarity with their mentor(s) predicted both dyadic and network average levels of mentor support (i.e., psychosocial, career, role modeling) and relational satisfaction. Furthermore, results point to homophily and engagement in undergraduate research effects on mentor network structures.ConclusionsThese findings highlight the importance of using a network approach to deepen our understanding of the factors (e.g., psychological similarity) that may influence the formation and maintenance of robust and diverse supportive mentoring networks.

Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Mentoring: What Women Want.

Women in medicine have reported gender-specific obstacles to career success, such as a dearth of mentors and role models. Pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) is a female-dominated subspecialty of pediatrics yet is still impacted by gender inequality in many areas. No previous study has explored mentoring experiences of women PEM physicians and the impact on their career trajectory. We sought to explore the experiences of female PEM physicians with mentorship to determine aspects of mentoring that were successful or unsuccessful. This was a qualitative study with criterion sampling of female PEM physicians. Members of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section of Emergency Medicine completed semistructured interviews in 2022, recorded and transcribed verbatim. Our research team consisted of 3 PEM physicians. Using the constant comparative method, we analyzed transcripts by inductively developing codes, grouping codes into categories, and refining codes, descriptions, and group assignments to identify themes. Interpretations of and relationships among themes were iteratively discussed and revised by the team. Twenty-two participants were interviewed via telephone. The mean age of participants was 44 years old, and the majority (73%) identified as White, non-Hispanic, and at the rank of assistant professor (45%). Four themes were identified: (1) benefits of mentorship (recognition of need for mentorship and finding professional success), (2) finding mentors (processes to find mentors and mentor roles), (3) characteristics of successful mentors (personal and professional), and (4) impact of mentorship (career advancement or career sabotage). We identified 4 themes that could be incorporated into mentoring programs and are associated with successful experiences for women PEM physicians. The detail and descriptions in our data provide guidance for mentoring programs that specifically address the needs of women in PEM.

The experience of good mentoring focused on overcoming turnover intention among millennial nurses.

Millennials are emerging as a prominent demographic in the nursing workforce. It is necessary to create an environment that harmonizes the advantages of each generation in a nursing workforce in which various generations coexist. As the importance of mentoring programs for millennial nurses grows, it is believed that the effectiveness of mentoring to support millennial nurses can be enhanced by identifying the attributes of good mentors as perceived by nurses. This study aimed to explore the attributes of good mentors according to millennial nurses in the nursing workforce with a focus on overcoming turnover intention problems. Four focus group interviews were conducted to collect data, which were subsequently analyzed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis method. A descriptive qualitative design involving 22 millennial nurses employed at a tertiary hospital, Hospital A, in Seoul, Republic of Korea was utilized. Four themes emerged from the analysis: the concept of a significant others, the presence of a driving force to endure, the importance of a guide to a harmonious life, and the value of a partner for growth. The participants themselves identified these themes. To prevent turnover intention among millennial nurses, mentors should employ diverse strategies, and institutional supports are crucial. Furthermore, since it is unrealistic to expect all ideal mentor characteristics to be present in one person, mentor development education is also necessary. This information is valuable for designing mentor development programs and for establishing a solid framework for effective mentoring programs.

Campus-Based Autism Spectrum Disorder Support Programs: Predictors of College Students’ Intentions to Participate

Peer mentors play a crucial role in campus-based living and support programs that assist autistic students in their transition to U.S. colleges. However, limited research has examined the characteristics of potential peer mentors and incentives that may be necessary to staff such programs. The present study evaluated the relationship between the characteristics of college students and their intention to participate in an autism spectrum disorder-specific living and support program. Undergraduate students ( N = 210; 83% females, Mage = 18.9 years, SD = 1.2) completed questionnaires assessing personality characteristics, acceptance of individuals with disabilities, and intrinsic and extrinsic motives for potential participation. Results suggest that participants would be highly motivated to participate if course credit toward their major or monetary incentives were offered. In addition, a history of contact with autistic individuals and agreeableness emerged as the most robust predictors of students’ intention to participate. Findings from this study may improve inclusivity on college campuses.

Professor Abbas Amirjamshidi: A Mentor Par-excellence

In the context of academic medical education, mentorship has been known to play an undeniable role in academic and personal development of junior mentees, as well as guiding them through their carrier, research, and education. Here in, we enumerated the qualities and characteristics of a good mentor, through introducing an exemplary mentor in neurosurgery: Professor Abbas Amirjamshidi. He had been an exemplary mentor with professional mentorship characteristics including altruistic and understanding, accessible and punctual, knowledgeable and experienced, able to assist mentees in defining and reaching goals, senior and well-respected in the field, sincerely dedicated to developing an important relationship with the mentee. Professor Amirjamshidi had been a role model as a mentor steering his mentees in changing their professional life by directing them in the right direction. To achieve this coveted goal, Professor Amirjamshidi would invest time and energy to ascertain that his mentees achieve the loftiest goals in their professional career. He has been present both at the national and international forums as an invited speaker, and has served as a member of the editorial boards of reputed journals. Besides, he has innumerable publications to his credit in peer-reviewed journals.

Abstract 18771: Gender, Geographic and Subspeciality Differences in Mentorship in Cardiology: Results of the Global Mentorship Survey

Introduction: Mentorship is valued among cardiologists for career advancement globally. Hypothesis: We investigated differences in mentorship characteristics, trends and needs based on gender, continent of practice and cardiology subspeciality. Methods: An anonymous online survey was distributed globally to cardiologists, current and prospective cardiology trainees, collecting demographic data, mentoring experiences and best mentorship practice. Categorical variables were compared by Pearson's Chi-squared test. Results: A total 1210 responses, 51% women, 49% men, 0.3% non-binary, with most (33%) from Europe. 57% received mentorship, with no gender differences. Australians (82%) and North Americans (68%) were most likely to receive mentorship, South Americans (43%) and Africans (42%) least likely. Access to mentorship was the most common challenge (70%). Most valued mentor characteristics were trustworthiness, supportiveness and constructive feedback. Mentor ethnicity was deemed irrelevant by majority. More women than men considered their mentors’ gender relevant and placed more importance on work-life balance (p=0.03) and mentoring in pregnancy (p<0.001). Among mentee objectives, professional networking & resource-sharing were most important goals for both genders. Skill development via mentorship was important for both genders but more proceduralists valued this compared to non-proceduralists (53% vs 47% p=0.03). Lack of dedicated time, lack of training/understanding of mentorship and poor communication were key barriers to effective mentorship in both genders. More women than men considered gender differences as a barrier to good mentorship (10% vs 4.4%, p<0.001), Australians and Europeans perceived lack of time, North Americans perceived lack of goal-setting and failure to sponsor as barriers. There was global interest in a mentorship training programme, more among women than men (95% vs 89%, p<0.001). Conclusions: Mentorship is a valued for career and professional development, despite global variations in access to mentors. Most female cardiologists felt mentorship was beneficial to advise work life balance and during pregnancy. Mentoring training needs to be made available globally within cardiology.

THE INFLUENCE OF MENTORSHIP ON THE PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT OF NURSES

Background: In the “century of knowledge” in which we live, to become and remain a part of contemporary trends in society, it is necessary to constantly learn and acquire the skills necessary for better coping, both in personal and professional life. Contemporary scientific, technological, and educational currents in society impose new tendencies on us in life, work, and education. It is the same with the concept of mentoring in nursing, which has not been known “since yesterday, but only now is its value and true meaning formally recognized Aim: The objective is to examine the impact of mentoring on the professional and personal development of nurses and mentors. Subjects and Methods: The research was conducted prospectively during June, July, and August 2023 at University Hospital Osijek, at the clinics and departments that are the teaching bases of the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health in Osijek. Participants were bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing, external collaborators, and mentors of clinical practice for undergraduate students of nursing at the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health in Osijek. The criterion for inclusion was: active mentors during the academic year 2022-2023. The research instrument was a questionnaire consisting of seven questions about the general characteristics of the respondents (gender, age, years of work experience in the profession, level of education, additional education, and jobs they perform). The second part of the questionnaire consisted of a structured instrument of 57 questions divided into four categories, which were designed according to the „Mentorship Evaluation Form" (School of Medicine, University of Virginia) and the “Mentor Evaluation” (Connecticut Mentoring Partnership, Business Guide to Youth Mentoring, authors: Diane Hale, Susan Patrick, and Dr. Susan Weinbergeron). Five questions were also taken from the questionnaire that was used in the research ”Mentoring in nursing education: Perceived characteristics of mentors and the consequences of mentorship” by Sabine Huybrecht, Department of Healthcare Sciences, Arthresis University College Antwerp, Belgium. Results: Clinical mentors with experience in mentoring for 5 to 7 years think that the most significant indicator of their personal development is the development of skills. Other indicators did not show any kind of significance. Clinical mentors with clinical experience for 21 to 30 years think that the most complicated things regarding mentorship are personal factors, while clinical mentors with working experience for less than 20 years think that it is about professional factors. Clinical mentors with clinical experience of more than 40 years think that they don’t have any complicated factors regarding their mentorship as well as professional and personal development. Conclusion: Mentorship has a big influence on the professional and personal development of nurses as clinical mentors. Mentorship is a valuable informative strategy within all levels of nursing and healthcare educational settings. A mentoring relationship gives back to the profession by instilling gratification and encouraging professional growth for both the mentor and the mentee.

The experiences of doctorally prepared nurses and doctoral nursing students with being mentored in the Nurse-Lead programme: A focus group study

Aimto explore experiences of being mentored and the contribution of the mentoring to leadership and professional development of doctorally prepared nurses and doctoral nursing students participating in the Nurse-Lead programme. BackgroundMentoring is considered important for career development of academic nurses. Doctorally prepared nurses need a wide range of professional competences to develop sustainable careers. Therefore, they may benefit from a larger network of mentors, outside their own organization, to support their professional development. Therefore, a web-based leadership and mentoring programme was developed - the Nurse Lead programme. DesignA descriptive study with semi-structured focus groups. MethodThree focus groups were conducted during an on-site programme meeting in 2019 with twenty-one doctorally prepared nurses and doctoral nursing students. The interview guide included questions about mentoring relationships and meaning of mentoring for leadership and professional development. The interviews were thematically analysed. ResultsFive themes were identified: “Preferred characteristics of mentors”, “Developing trusting relationships”, “Engagement of the mentors”, “Becoming a proficient researcher and team leader” and “Becoming an empowered and confident professional”. ConclusionMentoring supported the leadership and professional development of doctorally prepared nurses and doctoral nursing students. Participants were engaged in rewarding mentoring trajectories. The results indicate that a similar approach could be followed when developing mentoring programmes in the future.

Getting them done: a qualitative study of characteristics of mentors successful in graduating online students in a distance education context

Many doctoral students in online distance education programs are nontraditional students who require mentoring needs that may be different from traditional students. Additionally, time to completion is becoming more important as student debt is a growing public concern. The purpose of the study was to allow faculty (N = 22) in a for-profit, distance education university who have demonstrated ability to work at scale and have an excellent record of graduating doctoral students to give voice to the characteristics they felt were important to the mentoring relationship. 5 themes emerged: (a) regular and proactive communication; (b) building a trusting and empathic relationship with students; (c) timely, substantive, and specific feedback; (d) accountability; and (e) expertise in research, scholarly writing, and knowledge of internal and external resources. Several characteristics of excellent mentors are provided that can be used as a tool for faculty development and training.

Mentoring underrepresented racially minoritized undergraduate students in an education research apprenticeship program: strategies for success

PurposeThis study examined the characteristics of research mentors that successfully support underrepresented racially minoritized undergraduate (URMU) students in education research.Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory case study approach was employed to gain insight into the characteristics. The data sources used to inform this study included surveys and artifacts from eight URMU students who participated in a national grant-funded research apprenticeship fellowship program.FindingsResults revealed three key findings about the characteristics that research mentors need to possess to successfully support URMU students in education research. These characteristics include a willingness to (1) invest time and effort in the mentor–mentee relationship, (2) share relevant knowledge and expertise about education research and (3) serve as sponsors to support and promote their mentees' educational research goals and endeavors.Practical implicationsThe results have the potential to improve the quality of successful research mentorship opportunities for URMU students in education research by demonstrating the qualities and importance of these mentoring relationships. Higher quality mentoring relationships have the power to encourage URMU students to persist into graduate school and/or the education research profession via knowledge sharing, support and social capital. This is particularly important as education research – which still largely privileges Eurocentric research perspectives and methods – continues to take much needed steps toward racial and cultural diversity.Originality/valueMost undergraduate research mentorship literature – and especially that literature highlighting the needs of URMU students – focuses on students in STEM, leaving gaps in knowledge related to students in education research. By focusing on the latter, this study seeks to extend our knowledge of the research mentorship needs of URMU students in education research.

Methodology of mentoring in the context of the guidance of a preschool educational organization

Introduction. The methodology of mentoring is an independent scientific field. Over the past few decades, the scientific foundations of mentoring have been used abroad not only in the business industry, but also in the structures of educational organizations. Mentoring is a special managerial capacity, with techniques and methods of interaction that contribute to the progress and positive changes in the organization. Head of a preschool educational organization in the context of globalization simply cannot adhere to the authoritarian management style that has been popular for a long time. Mentoring is an attractive way to manage an educational organization, its methodology allows many leaders to master the structure of effective management of an educational organization, using techniques such as shadowing, coaching, budding, advising. In the article, we reviewed the latest research in the field of mentoring: the most «advanced» approaches; methods, ways and techniques for translating the scientific foundations into the practice of a preschool educational organization.Purpose setting. The goal is to form the concept of mentoring in a preschool educational organization. Based on the goal, we can single out the main task of the study, which will be to introduce the methodology of mentoring into the work of the head (mentor) of a preschool educational organization.Methodology and methods of the study. The research method was a critical analysis of foreign literature on the topic of Western, including American mentoring since the 1990s. until the present. We used the approach of critical thinking and the method of expert opinion, with the help of which we studied the Volga region area (Chuvash and Mari republics) and the Cis-Urals region area (Republic of Bashkortostan).Results. Ideas about mentoring are generalized with mentoring. Our task was to single out mentoring as a separate direction, which demonstrates the subjective position of the instructor (where the leader single-handedly «instructs» the ward) and the objective position of the mentor (where the mentee teacher is offered options and ways to make an independent decision).Conclusion. The leaders of preschool educational organizations note that the use of mentoring allows us to consider interaction in the context of «do as you can, but you have many ways to solve it». The process of delegating responsibilities between mentee teachers is more confident, which certainly transforms managerial potential. The scientific foundations of mentoring are being adapted to the globalization of the educational space, introducing new components into the structure of relationships between managers and subordinates. The coefficients of intelligence and emotionality make it possible to take into account the individual characteristics of mentors and mentees in an educational organization.

Experience in the study of the phenomenon of reverse mentoring in the system of general education

Introduction. One of the effective means of developing modern education is reverse mentoring. For its successful implementation, it is necessary to understand this phenomenon by the pedagogical community, in particular, teachers of educational institutions. The purpose of the work is to determine the level of understanding by teachers of general educational organizations of the essential and content characteristics of reverse mentoring. Materials and methods. The study used theoretical (theoretical analysis of the literature, generalization, classification) and empirical (analysis of regulatory documents, questionnaire survey) methods. The questionnaire survey involved 316 teachers of general education organizations (mentors and mentored people) from 8 regions of Russia (Nizhny Novgorod, Kurgan, Chelyabinsk, Tomsk, Ulyanovsk, Sverdlovsk regions, the Republic of Bashkortostan and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District). The average age of the respondents is 36.69 years (ϭ=13.92), the average teaching experience is 12.73 years (ϭ=12.99); 7% men, 93% women. The questionnaire included 21 questions. The obtained data were processed by the methods of content analysis and mathematical statistics (descriptive statistics, Fisher's criterion). Research results. As a result of a questionnaire survey, it was revealed that teachers of general educational institutions are aware of the importance of using different types of mentoring, including reverse (41.5%); believe that they are included in the system of reverse mentoring (63%), but at the same time they do not understand the essential and substantive characteristics of the phenomenon of reverse mentoring. Thus, only 25.9% of respondents believe that within the framework of reverse mentoring, a young teacher teaches a more experienced one, and 24.4% that an older teacher in age, experience or position becomes a ward of an employee who is younger in these parameters. To determine the content characteristics of reverse mentoring, the characteristics of the mentor, identified by the respondents, were of particular importance. Conclusion. Based on the results, the methodological foundations of reverse mentoring were identified and its definition was formulated as a pedagogical interaction in which the mentor has a lower status (age, length of service, position) than that of the mentored person; aimed at filling the deficit of tutored in professionally significant competencies, based on trust, equality and active cooperation.

Characteristics of faculty mentoring in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Future of Nursing Scholars Program

BackgroundTo address the need for faculty scientists, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) provided support for an accelerated PhD program: Future of Nursing Scholars (FNS). PurposeTo describe the experience of faculty mentoring PhD students in the RWJF FNS program pursuing a 3-year accelerated PhD degree, including faculty members’ support activities for students, time commitment, student productivity in manuscript dissemination, and challenges and opportunities for supporting students. MethodsSurveys were sent to faculty mentors of FNS to understand mentoring activities, strategies used, and mentee productivity. FindingsOf 93 faculty mentors, they reported most FNS students (n = 61, 65.6%) completed a manuscript format dissertation. FNS students required academic/dissertation mentoring, with frequent emotional support and positive reinforcement. Discussion and ConclusionMentors reported providing more frequent mentoring and spent more time mentoring FNS students than with other PhD students. Alignment of the student's research to that of the faculty mentor was identified as valuable.

Perceptions and Aspirations Toward Peer Mentoring in Social Media-Based Electronic Cigarette Cessation Interventions for Adolescents and Young Adults: Focus Group Study.

Social media offer a promising channel to deliver e-cigarette cessation interventions to adolescents and young adults (AYAs); however, interventions delivered on social media face challenges of low participant retention and decreased engagement over time. Peer mentoring has the potential to ameliorate these challenges. The aim of this study was to understand, from both the mentee and potential mentor perspective, the needs, expectations, and concerns of AYAs regarding peer mentoring to inform the development of social media-based peer mentoring interventions for e-cigarette cessation among AYAs. Seven focus groups, including four mentee groups and three potential mentor groups, were conducted with 26 AYAs who had prior experience with e-cigarette use and attempts to quit in the context of a social media-based e-cigarette cessation intervention. Discussion focused on preferred characteristics of peer mentors, expectations about peer mentoring, mentoring mode, mentor training, incentives for peer mentors, preferred social media platforms for intervention delivery, supervision, and concerns. Focus group transcripts were coded and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Overall, participants were receptive to peer mentoring in social media-based cessation interventions and believed they could be helpful in assisting e-cigarette cessation. Participants identified the most important characteristics of peer mentors to be of similar age and to be abstinent from e-cigarette use. Participants expected peer mentors would share personal experiences, provide emotional support, and send check-ins and reminders. Peer mentors supporting a group of mentees in combination with one-on-one mentoring as needed was the preferred mentoring mode. A group of 10 mentees with a mentor:mentee ratio of 1:3-5 was deemed acceptable for most participants. Participants expressed that mentor training should include emotional intelligence, communication skills, and the scientific evidence about e-cigarettes. Although monetary incentives were not the main motivating factor for being a peer mentor, they were viewed as a good way to compensate mentors' time. Instagram was considered an appropriate social media platform to deliver a peer-mentored intervention due to its functionality. Participants did not express many privacy concerns about social media-based peer mentoring, but mentioned that boundaries and community agreements should be set to keep relationships professional. This study reflects the needs and preferences of young people for a peer mentoring intervention to complement a social media program to support e-cigarette cessation. The next step will be to establish the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of such a peer mentoring program.