Successful Mentoring Relationship Research Articles

Creating Effective Interprofessional Mentoring Relationships in Palliative Care- Lessons from Medicine, Nursing, Surgery and Social Work

Palliative Care requires multidisciplinary teamwork to achieve its patient specific objectives. Success of this approach pivots on nurturing effective interprofessional relationships through the provision of holistic support and multidimensional training of multiprofessional Palliative Care team members. Mentoring is seen as an effective means of facilitating multiprofessional collaborations however little data exists on operationalizing an interprofessional mentoring program in Palliative Care. To address this gap and circumnavigate the context-specific nature of mentoring, we scrutinized mentoring approaches in medicine, surgery, nursing and medical social work to identify common elements of mentoring within their respective practices that will provide the basis of an interprofessional mentoring in Palliative Care. Thematic analysis of 20 reviews of undergraduate and postgraduate mentoring programs in medicine, surgery and nursing suggest that successful mentoring programs are underscored by effective nurturing and support of mentoring relationships. Successful mentoring relationships are built on strong relational ties between mentees and mentors. Delineating the key elements to effective mentoring relationships allow for the forwarding of a basic framework to enhance relational ties within interdisciplinary mentoring in Palliative Care and the proffering of an evidence-based platform for the adoption of a cognitive apprenticeship model that can guide the operationalization of a multiprofessional mentoring program in Palliative Care.

Book Review: How to use emotional, cultural, and spiritual intelligence to mentor doctoral learners: Best practices and tools to help mentors and doctoral learners navigate the dissertation process by McCollum, W. R.

McCollum, W. R. (2014). How to use emotional, cultural, and spiritual intelligence to mentor doctoral learners: Best practices and tools to help mentors and doctoral learners navigate the dissertation process. Fort Washington, MD: McCollum Enterprises. 439 pp. ISBN: 978-0-9791406-5-5 (paperback, large print) Graduate school attrition rates of 40% to 50% raise concern for mentors and mentees struggling to beat these odds. Poor self-esteem, inadequate preparation, limited finances, and dysfunctional social supports are common barriers, especially for underserved, nontraditional graduate students. In How to Use Emotional, Cultural, and Spiritual Intelligence, Walter McCollum (2014) contends that emotional, cultural, and spiritual intelligence facilitates the successful navigation through the dissertation process. Combining theory, practice, and experience, McCollum defines successful mentoring as the ability to create opportunities and environments that provide clear expectations, tools, and support for graduate students. Relying on his experience with underserved, nontraditional online doctoral students, he offers mentors and mentees best practices for reducing the attrition rates. The first chapter, Emotional Intelligence is the Heart of Mentoring Doctoral Learners, briefly summarizes the literature on emotional intelligence. Preferring Goleman's (2000) emotional intelligence model because it measures the personal competence, empathy, and social skills of the mentor and mentee, McCollum (2014) uses his personal assessment scores to illustrate the development of his mentoring practices. He suggests that mentors with high emotional intelligence possess competencies to create the opportunities mentees need to succeed. In the second chapter, Using Cultural Intelligence as a Critical Success Factor to Mentor Doctoral Learners, McCollum (2014) defines cultural intelligence as the ability to grasp what makes all people human and different at the same time. Acknowledging the changing global demographic in traditional and nontraditional doctoral programs, he asserts that cultural intelligence is a vital component for a successful mentoring relationship. He views mentoring as the bridge between interpersonal differences and cultural intelligence as the key to avoiding misunderstanding and conflict within a mentoring relationship. In Chapter 3, Aligning Spiritual Intelligence Principles With the Dissertation Process, McCollum (2014) admits that research is sparse and finding a definition for spiritual intelligence is difficult. Settling on Sisk and Torrance's (2001) definition of spiritual intelligence as a sensory approach to problem-solving and learning that listens to one's inner voice, McCollum presents qualities evident in those with spiritual intelligence. …

Mentoring ethnic minority counseling and clinical psychology students: A multicultural, ecological, and relational model.

The aim of the current study was to understand the role of race and culture in successful mentoring relationships in graduate school. We examined the practices of 9 faculty mentors working with 15 ethnic minority doctoral students in counseling and clinical psychology. Grounded theory was used to discern unifying patterns and to formulate a theory of multicultural mentoring. Five overall themes significant to multicultural mentoring emerged: (a) career support and guidance tailored for ethnic minorities, (b) relationality between mentors and protégés, (c) significance of contexts, (d) interconnections across contexts, and (e) multidirectionality of interactions between contexts. The 5 themes combined to form a multicultural, ecological, and relational model of mentoring. Our findings suggest that mentoring ethnic minority students can be successful, productive, and satisfying for both mentors and protégés when mentors possess the necessary skills, time, commitment, and multicultural competencies. Implications for doctoral programs in counseling and clinical psychology are discussed, along with recommendations for future research directions.

Strategic mentoring: Growth for mentor and mentee

Mentoring is enriching for both the mentor and mentee, but often getting started can be a primary obstacle to this useful tool. This contribution focuses on how to embark on a mentoring relationship with a junior colleague. In addition to describing various approaches to being a mentor, it outlines unproductive traps to avoid, steps to establishing a successful mentoring relationship, including conversation starters, and professional skills one can continue to develop to improve mentoring outcomes.

Speed mentoring: establishing successful mentoring relationships.

Medical EducationVolume 48, Issue 11 p. 1131-1131 Really Good Stuff Speed mentoring: establishing successful mentoring relationships Jennifer Kurré, Jennifer KurréSearch for more papers by this authorEva Schweigert, Eva SchweigertSearch for more papers by this authorGerhild Kulms, Gerhild KulmsSearch for more papers by this authorAndreas H Guse, Corresponding Author Andreas H GuseCorrespondence: Andreas H Guse, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, Hamburg 20246, Germany. Tel: 00 49 40 7410 52828; E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author Jennifer Kurré, Jennifer KurréSearch for more papers by this authorEva Schweigert, Eva SchweigertSearch for more papers by this authorGerhild Kulms, Gerhild KulmsSearch for more papers by this authorAndreas H Guse, Corresponding Author Andreas H GuseCorrespondence: Andreas H Guse, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, Hamburg 20246, Germany. Tel: 00 49 40 7410 52828; E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author First published: 12 October 2014 https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.12555Citations: 7Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume48, Issue11November 2014Pages 1131-1131 RelatedInformation

Mentoring: Some cautionary notes for the nursing profession

Mentoring has been embraced in nursing as a way of socialising new nurses into the profession, growing and developing nursing talent, and more recently as a way to retain experienced nurses with the current nursing shortage. Much of the extant literature focusses on the benefits of mentoring, differences between formal and informal mentoring, the elements of a successful mentoring relationship, and the characteristics of ‘good’ mentors and protégées. Until recently the research on mentoring has almost exclusively focussed on the positive aspects of mentoring for the protégées, organisations and to a lesser extent, mentors. While viewed by many as a beneficial and enriching developmental experience, it is equally important to recognise that there can be a darker side to the mentoring experience for the mentor and protégée. This paper will explore the negative aspects associated with mentoring and mentoring relationships and provide some cautionary notes for nursing.

Mentoring: Some cautionary notes for the nursing profession.

Abstract Mentoring has been embraced in nursing as a way of socialising new nurses into the profession, growing and developing nursing talent, and more recently as a way to retain experienced nurses with the current nursing shortage. Much of the extant literature focusses on the benefits of mentoring, differences between formal and informal mentoring, the elements of a successful mentoring relationship, and the characteristics of 'good' mentors and protégées. Until recently the research on mentoring has almost exclusively focussed on the positive aspects of mentoring for the protégées, organisations and to a lesser extent, mentors. While viewed by many as a beneficial and enriching developmental experience, it is equally important to recognise that there can be a darker side to the mentoring experience for the mentor and protégée. This paper will explore the negative aspects associated with mentoring and mentoring relationships and provide some cautionary notes for nursing.

Mentoring: Some cautionary notes for the nursing profession.

Abstract Mentoring has been embraced in nursing as a way of socialising new nurses into the profession, growing and developing nursing talent, and more recently as a way to retain experienced nurses with the current nursing shortage. Much of the extant literature focusses on the benefits of mentoring, differences between formal and informal mentoring, the elements of a successful mentoring relationship, and the characteristics of 'good' mentors and protégées. Until recently the research on mentoring has almost exclusively focused on the positive aspects of mentoring for the protégées, organisations and to a lesser extent, mentors. While viewed by many as a beneficial and enriching developmental experience, it is equally important to recognise that there can be a darker side to the mentoring experience for the mentor and protégée. This paper will explore the negative aspects associated with mentoring and mentoring relationships and provide some cautionary notes for nursing.

Is the culture of surgery still a gender issue?

We read Brown and colleagues’ recent article1 on culture transition in surgery with interest. We agree with the accompanying editorial by Harvey,2 that this is an important addition to the literature and that open, frank discussion is needed from the profession. We feel that some of their points merit further exploration. The authors highlight 2 key factors influencing the culture and future of our profession: the (slow) movement toward gender balance and a generationally driven attitudinal shift. They study how “new” recruits perceive these changes by interviewing 17 surgeons (9 women, 8 men),1 all of whom are assistant professor level or higher; have a mean age of 38 years; and are in heterosexual relationships. The ethnic profile of the sample was not reported. We would suggest that interviewing this sample, though of interest, might in fact miss the point; the authors have sought the views of the “new establishment.” All of the participants of the study have become established academic surgeons, some against well-defined, albeit diminishing, barriers. They have opted to stay in the profession, in some cases alongside the added commitments of motherhood. In the UK, 90% of those in surgical training decide on this path during their first year postqualification with a similar gender ratio, yet far fewer women ultimately achieve their goal.3 Women initially attracted to surgery move away from this career option during their postgraduate education; this attrition was previously attributed to lifestyle considerations.4,5 We would postulate that the same may be true of some black and minority ethnic groups, and possibly also lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered surgical trainees. Interviewing a cohort from these groups — those who chose not to enter the profession they were initially drawn to — may cast further light on gender and cultural issues within surgery and undercover why it has been perceived for so long as an “old boys’ club” with ongoing discrimination. Brown and colleagues1 cite a lack of mentoring as 1 potential reason for our profession’s loss of talent. We would support this claim. In our experience6 and the experience of others, access to mentors is limited not only for women but also for other minorities in this professional arena. Formalized mentoring programs that seek to pair candidates with suitably matched (but not necessarily demographically similar) mentors, and the use of mentoring frameworks, may help people to achieve successful mentoring relationships.7 Raising awareness for mentoring and mentor acquisition as early as possible in surgical careers (i.e., medical school) may also benefit potential surgeons. Positive role models have been shown to significantly impact career choices.8 From our personal experience (H.M., T.B.), role models are limited for Generation Y female potential surgeons. We agree with the study, that increasingly this is not a gender issue; men, too, want a better work–life balance9 to pursue portfolio careers while having flexibility for more time at home and the opportunity to travel. Certain aspects of surgery as a career (e.g., emergency work, management of complications, unpredictability of surgical pathology, competition for attaining training posts) inherently clash with these aspirations; however, we believe that broad-minded individuals with ambition within and outside of medicine are assets to any workforce. Surgical trainees with the Generation Y value set should be encouraged into, not dissuaded from, surgical specialties. This will not happen passively; it requires a strategic approach involving enhanced child care options, job sharing and flexible contracts, and signposting of role models and mentoring opportunities. It requires a culture change within our profession.

Mentoring: a learning relationship to foster change

Mentoring is a one-to-one learning relationship, which contributes to the learning and development of both mentor and mentee. This article suggests that a successful mentoring relationship can encourage improvements in professional practice and therefore, standards for dental patients

Characteristics of Successful and Failed Mentoring Relationships

To explore the mentor-mentee relationship with a focus on determining the characteristics of effective mentors and mentees and understanding the factors influencing successful and failed mentoring relationships. The authors completed a qualitative study through the Departments of Medicine at the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine and the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine between March 2010 and January 2011. They conducted individual, semistructured interviews with faculty members from different career streams and ranks and analyzed transcripts of the interviews, drawing on grounded theory. The authors completed interviews with 54 faculty members and identified a number of themes, including the characteristics of effective mentors and mentees, actions of effective mentors, characteristics of successful and failed mentoring relationships, and tactics for successful mentoring relationships. Successful mentoring relationships were characterized by reciprocity, mutual respect, clear expectations, personal connection, and shared values. Failed mentoring relationships were characterized by poor communication, lack of commitment, personality differences, perceived (or real) competition, conflicts of interest, and the mentor's lack of experience. Successful mentorship is vital to career success and satisfaction for both mentors and mentees. Yet challenges continue to inhibit faculty members from receiving effective mentorship. Given the importance of mentorship on faculty members' careers, future studies must address the association between a failed mentoring relationship and a faculty member's career success, how to assess different approaches to mediating failed mentoring relationships, and how to evaluate strategies for effective mentorship throughout a faculty member's career.

An Examination of Behavioral Antecedents to Individuals' Participation in a Social Mentoring Network from a Protégé's Perspective

The present study seeks to identify the behavioral antecedents to individuals' participation as protégé in a social mentoring network (SMN). It draws on social psychology and vocational literature and applies the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to understand and predict the specific behavioral context. A SMN was operationally defined as a special case of informal mentoring coupled with a social networking platform. Two additional variables--similarity and self-disclosure--were incorporated into the standard TPB model to improve its predictive power. A total of 376 respondents completed their first- and second wave questionnaires in a 2-week-longitudinal survey design. Two hierarchical multiple regressions were performed to determine the unique contributions made by the extended TPB model to the variance in behavioral intention and behavior. The results indicate that intention was demonstrated as a single significant variable in determining the behavior. Furthermore, intention was significantly influenced by respondents' attitudinal and normative beliefs toward the behavior, weighted by their internal mechanism that establishes the importance of necessary preconditions for the development of successful mentoring relationship. These preconditions include protégés' need for similarity with their mentor as well as willingness to self-disclose themselves to the SMN.

Mentoring in biostatistics: some suggestions for reform

Mentoring is routinely used as a tool to facilitate acquisition of skills by new professionals in fields like medicine, nursing, surgery, and business. While mentoring has been proposed as an effective strategy for knowledge and skills transfer in biostatistics and related fields, there is still much to be done to facilitate adoption by stakeholders, including academia and employers of biostatisticians. This is especially troubling given that biostatisticians play a key role in the success or otherwise of clinical research conducted for evidence-based decisions. In this paper, we offer suggestions on how mentoring can be applied in practice to advance the statistical training of future biostatisticians. In particular, we propose steps that academic statistics departments, professional statistical societies, and statistics organizations can take to advance the mentoring of young biostatisticians. Our suggestions also cover what mentors and mentees can do to facilitate a successful mentoring relationship.

From the Editors’ Desk: Realizing the Dream: Mentorship in Academic Medicine

From the Editors’ Desk: Realizing the Dream: Mentorship in Academic Medicine

The beneficial outcome of a successful mentoring relationship: the development of inclusive education

In recent years there has been very high international interest around induction programmes aiming for the smooth integration of newcomer teachers in the working environment of the school unit. In addition, educational systems in many countries lay great importance on the provision of equal opportunities to all students and the provision of a more inclusive education. In this paper, using qualitative data from one school in Cyprus, the authors present how the mentoring relationship of two teachers resulted in the provision of a more inclusive education, not only regarding the two teachers involved in the mentoring relationship, but in the school in general. The data analysis led to the following two assertions: a) the mentoring relationship helped the newcomer to improve her practice and to increase student participation, and b) the mentoring relationship assisted in the development of cooperation between the mentor and the newcomer, and assisted in the development of a team spirit which was later spread out across the school. The results of the study imply that if the mentoring relationship focuses, among other things, on issues of equal learning opportunities and new teachers shift their attention at an early stage towards meeting the diversity of their students and not only on how to survive in the school environment, then teachers and schools will set solid foundations for the acceptance of diversity and the provision of equal educational opportunities for all students.

Keys to Successful Mentoring Relationships

Mentoring is an effective method of helping inexperienced individuals develop and progress in their profession. Extension staff have many opportunities to mentor volunteers and other community partners. The keys to establishing a successful mentoring relationship include creating a relationship of trust, clearly defining roles and responsibilities, establishing short- and long-term goals, using open and supportive communication, and collaboratively solving problems.

Acculturation, distress disclosure, and emotional self-disclosure within Asian populations.

Research into youth mentoring suggests that programs focused on specific practices (e.g., emotional disclosure and collaborative relationships) increase the likelihood of a successful mentoring relationship, factors similar to the psychotherapy literature. However, research into psychotherapy with Asians has indicated that these factors, based on Western values, are less effective, especially with those who are less acculturated. To test the relevance of these factors within mentor-type relationships, this study examined the relationship between acculturation and distress disclosure, and the relationship between acculturation and the retrospective willingness to emotionally self-disclose to friends and unrelated, trusted adults in 98 participants representing several ethnic Asian backgrounds. Both values-based and behaviorally based acculturation measures were used. Values-based, but not behaviorally based acculturation, predicted distress disclosure (i.e., less acculturated individuals were less likely to disclose distress). Using an imagery protocol, participants were then asked to think back to adolescence and indicate their willingness to self-disclose emotions to friends and unrelated, trusted adults. Participants were more willing to self-disclose emotions to friends compared to unrelated, trusted adults, regardless of values acculturation level. However, a significant interaction occurred in an unanticipated direction using behaviorally based acculturation. Less behaviorally acculturated individuals were more willing to disclose emotions to unrelated, trusted adults compared to more behaviorally acculturated individuals. Discussion regarding the results revolved around the utility of a behavioral measure of acculturation, values and behaviors in acculturation, the role of older persons in Asian culture, and the possible role of community in the acculturation process.

Looking for Professor Right: mentee selection of mentors in a formal mentoring program

Finding a suitable mentor is crucial to the success of mentoring relationships. In the mentoring literature, however, there is conflicting evidence about the best ways to support the pairing process in organisational mentoring programs. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the pairing process in an academic mentoring program that has implications for building a mentoring culture in higher education. The program which began with a pilot and has continued for five years with one hundred and twenty one participants, was conducted with mentees selecting their own mentor from a pool of mentors who volunteered to be part of the program. In the pilot program, where mentors and mentees first met as one group, some mentees reported that the process of selecting and approaching a mentor was uncomfortable and intimidating. Nine of twenty-three potential mentees did not form mentoring relationships. Analysis of subsequent program evaluation data pointed to the importance of two factors in the pairing process: personal connections and facilitation of the selection process. This study at a research-intensive university demonstrates that when the pairing process is tailored to individual mentees, they are comfortable selecting a mentor and to then develop a successful mentoring relationship.

Drawing from the Outside for Support in Teaching

Mentoring new nurse educators in their pedagogy is vital to their long-term success and their students' learning. It is also crucial to build mentoring into ongoing professional development plans because doctoral studies rarely include information on how to be an effective teacher. An overlooked resource on college campuses is the education department. This article describes the processes of a fruitful 2-year mentoring relationship between a new nurse educator and an education professor and offers a virtually no-cost strategy for improving the quality of teaching in schools, departments, and colleges of nursing. Using education faculty as mentors has two advantages over using fellow nursing faculty: pedagogy is their absolute professional expertise and the relationship may be less fraught with the potential baggage of peer evaluation because the mentors and mentees are in different departments. Trust, open communication, and clear goal-setting establish the framework for successful mentoring relationships.

Mentoring 101: Building a Mentoring Relationship

In today's economy, employers are looking to maximize efficiency and employees are doing everything they can to demonstrate their value. These complementary interests create the fertile ground from which successful mentoring, whether an organizational program or an individual relationship, can grow. Those individuals who take greater personal responsibility for their career development are the most likely to benefit from the guidance of a mentor, and organizations looking to identify and retain their most valuable contributors stand to gain by providing the opportunity for mentoring relationships to flourish. In a field as diverse as dietetics, finding a mentor who understands your particular professional interests and career goals could be the key ingredient in your career advancement. But before you can go about finding a mentor, it's essential to understand exactly what a mentor does, and how both mentor and mentee can contribute to a successful mentoring relationship.