Advancing Gender Equality in Healthcare Leadership: Protocol to Co-Design and Evaluate a Leadership and Mentoring Intervention in Tanzania.

Background: Women constitute almost two thirds of the health and social workforce. Yet, the proportion of women in decision-making positions remains significantly low leading to gender inequities in access to and appropriateness of healthcare. Several barriers which limit women's advancement to leadership positions have been documented and they generally constitute of gender stereotypes, discrimination and inhibiting systems; these hinderances are compounded by intersection with other social identities. Amelioration of the barriers has the potential to enhance women's participation in leadership and strengthen the existing health systems. Objective: This protocol describes a proposed study aimed at addressing the organisational and individual barriers to the advancement of women to leadership positions in the Tanzanian health sector, and to evaluate the influence on leadership competencies and career advancement actions of the female health workforce. Method: The study utilises a gender transformative approach, co-design and implementation science in the development and integration of a leadership and mentorship intervention for women in the Tanzanian health context. The key steps in this research include quantifying the gender ratio in healthcare leadership; identifying the individual and organisational barriers to women's leadership; reviewing existing leadership, mentorship and career advancement interventions for women; recruiting programme participants for a leadership and mentorship programme; running a co-design workshop with programme participants and stakeholders; implementing a leadership and mentorship programme; and conducting a collaborative evaluation and lessons learnt. Conclusions: This research underscores the notion that progression towards gender equality in healthcare leadership is attained by fashioning a system that supports the advancement of women. We also argue that one of the pivotal indicators of progress towards the gender equality sustainable development goal is the number of women in senior and middle management positions, which we hope to further through this research.

Gold standard research and evidence applied: The Inspire Nursing Leadership Program.

Billions of dollars are invested annually in leadership development globally; however, few programs are evidence-based, risking adverse outcomes, and wasted time and money. This article describes the novel Inspire Nursing Leadership Program (INLP) and the outcomes-based process of incorporating gold standard evidence into its design, delivery, and evaluation. The INLP design was informed by a needs analysis, research evidence, and by nursing, Indigenous, and equity, diversity, and inclusion experts. The program's goals include enabling participants to develop leadership capabilities, cultivate strategic community partnerships, lead innovation projects, and connect with colleagues. Design features include an outcomes-based approach, the LEADS framework, and alignment with the principles of adult learning. Components include leadership impact projects, 360-assessments, blended interactive sessions, coaching, mentoring, and application and reflection exercises. The evaluation framework and subsequent proposed research design align to top-quality standards. Healthcare leadership programs must be evidence-based to support leaders in improving and transforming health systems.

Efficacy of Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (CoBRE) grants to build research capacity in underrepresented states.

Federal funding for research has immediate and long-term economic impact. Since federal research funding is regionally concentrated and not geographically distributed, the benefits are not fully realized in some regions of the country. The Established (previously Experimental) Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) programs at several agencies, for example, the National Science Foundation, and the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program at the National Institutes of Health were created to increase competitiveness for funding in states with historically low levels of federal funding. The Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (CoBRE) award program is a component of the IDeA program. The CoBRE grants support research core facilities to develop research infrastructure. These grants also support the research projects of junior investigators, under the guidance of mentoring teams of senior investigators, to develop human resources at these institutions. Few studies have assessed the effectiveness of these programs. This study examines the investment and outcomes of the CoBRE grants from 2000 through 2022. The maturation of junior investigators into independently funded principal investigators is comparable to other mentoring programs supported by NIH. The investment in research cores resulted in substantial research productivity, measured by publications. Despite the successes of individual investigators and increased research infrastructure and productivity, the geographic distribution of federal and NIH research dollars has not changed. These results will be informative in consideration of policies designed to enhance the geographic distribution of federal research dollars.

Group Health & Wellness Coaching: development and validation of the required competencies.

BACKGROUND: As the popularity and demonstrated effectiveness of Health and Wellness Coaching (HWC) continue to grow to address chronic disease prevalence worldwide, delivery of this approach in a group format is gaining traction, particularly in healthcare. Nonetheless, very little empirical work exists on group coaching and there are currently no published competencies for Group Health and Wellness Coaching (GHWC). METHODS: We used a well-established two-phase (Development and Judgment) process to create and validate GHWC competencies with strong content validity. RESULTS: Seven highly qualified Subject Matter Experts systematically identified and proposed the GHWC competencies, which were then validated by 78 National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coaches (NBC-HWCs) currently practicing GHWC who rated the importance and use frequency of each one. The validation study led to 72 competencies which are organized into the structure and process of GHWC. CONCLUSIONS: GHWC requires not only coaching skills, but significant group facilitation skills to guide the group process to best support members in maximizing health and well-being through self-directed behavioral change. As the presence of HWC continues to grow, it is imperative that GHWC skill standards be accepted and implemented for the safety of the public, the effectiveness of the intervention, and the value analysis of the field. Such standards will guide curriculum development, allow for a more robust research agenda, and give practical guidance for health and wellness coaches to responsibly run groups. High quality standards for GHWC are particularly needed in health care, where a Level III Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) code for GHWC has been approved in the United States since 2019 and reimbursement of such has been approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid for 2024.

Trainee-supervisor collaboration, progress-visualisation, and coaching: a survey on challenges in assessment of ICU trainees.

BACKGROUND: Assessing trainees is crucial for development of their competence, yet it remains a challenging endeavour. Identifying contributing and influencing factors affecting this process is imperative for improvement. METHODS: We surveyed residents, fellows, and intensivists working in an intensive care unit (ICU) at a large non-university hospital in Switzerland to investigate the challenges in assessing ICU trainees. Thematic analysis revealed three major themes. RESULTS: Among 45 physicians, 37(82%) responded. The first theme identified is trainee-intensivist collaboration discontinuity. The limited duration of trainees' ICU rotations, large team size operating in a discordant three-shift system, and busy and unpredictable day-planning hinder sustained collaboration. Potential solutions include a concise pre-collaboration briefing, shared bedside care, and post-collaboration debriefing involving formative assessment and reflection on collaboration. The second theme is the lack of trainees' progress visualisation, which is caused by unsatisfactory familiarisation with the trainees' development. The lack of an overview of a trainee's previous achievements, activities, strengths, weaknesses, and goals may result in inappropriate assessments. Participants suggested implementing digital assessment tools, a competence committee, and dashboards to facilitate progress visualisation. The third theme we identified is insufficient coaching and feedback. Factors like personality traits, hierarchy, and competing interests can impede coaching, while high-quality feedback is essential for correct assessment. Skilled coaches can define short-term goals and may optimise trainee assessment by seeking feedback from multiple supervisors and assisting in both formative and summative assessment. Based on these three themes and the suggested solutions, we developed the acronym "ICU-STAR" representing a potentially powerful framework to enhance short-term trainee-supervisor collaboration in the workplace and to co-scaffold the principles of adequate assessment. CONCLUSIONS: According to ICU physicians, trainee-supervisor collaboration discontinuity, the lack of visualisation of trainee's development, and insufficient coaching and feedback skills of supervisors are the major factors hampering trainees' assessment in the workplace. Based on suggestions by the survey participants, we propose the acronym "ICU-STAR" as a framework including briefing, shared bedside care, and debriefing of the trainee-supervisor collaboration at the workplace as its core components. With the attending intensivists acting as coaches, progress visualisation can be enhanced by actively collecting more data points. TRIAL REGISTRATION: N/A.

Real-world nudging, pricing, and mobile physical activity coaching was insufficient to improve lifestyle behaviours and cardiometabolic health: the Supreme Nudge parallel cluster-randomised controlled supermarket trial.

BACKGROUND: Context-specific interventions may contribute to sustained behaviour change and improved health outcomes. We evaluated the real-world effects of supermarket nudging and pricing strategies and mobile physical activity coaching on diet quality, food-purchasing behaviour, walking behaviour, and cardiometabolic risk markers. METHODS: This parallel cluster-randomised controlled trial included supermarkets in socially disadvantaged neighbourhoods across the Netherlands with regular shoppers aged 30-80 years. Supermarkets were randomised to receive co-created nudging and pricing strategies promoting healthier purchasing (N = 6) or not (N = 6). Nudges targeted 9% of supermarket products and pricing strategies 3%. Subsequently, participants were individually randomised to a control (step counter app) or intervention arm (step counter and mobile coaching app) to promote walking. The primary outcome was the average change in diet quality (low (0) to high (150)) over all follow-up time points measured with a validated 40-item food frequency questionnaire at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months. Secondary outcomes included healthier food purchasing (loyalty card-derived), daily step count (step counter app), cardiometabolic risk markers (lipid profile and HbA1c via finger prick, and waist circumference via measuring tape), and supermarket customer satisfaction (questionnaire-based: very unsatisfied (1) to very satisfied (7)), evaluated using linear mixed-models. Healthy supermarket sales (an exploratory outcome) were analysed via controlled interrupted time series analyses. RESULTS: Of 361 participants (162 intervention, 199 control), 73% were female, the average age was 58 (SD 11) years, and 42% were highly educated. Compared to the control arm, the intervention arm showed no statistically significant average changes over time in diet quality (ߠ- 1.1 (95% CI - 3.8 to 1.7)), percentage healthy purchasing (ß 0.7 ( - 2.7 to 4.0)), step count (ߠ- 124.0 (- 723.1 to 475.1), or any of the cardiometabolic risk markers. Participants in the intervention arm scored 0.3 points (0.1 to 0.5) higher on customer satisfaction on average over time. Supermarket-level sales were unaffected (ß - 0.0 (- 0.0 to 0.0)). CONCLUSIONS: Co-created nudging and pricing strategies that predominantly targeted healthy products via nudges were unable to increase healthier food purchases and intake nor improve cardiometabolic health. The mobile coaching intervention did not affect step count. Governmental policy measures are needed to ensure more impactful supermarket modifications that promote healthier purchases. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Dutch Trial Register ID NL7064, 30 May 2018, https://www.onderzoekmetmensen.nl/en/trial/20990.

Demystifying AI: Current State and Future Role in Medical Education Assessment.

ABSTRACT: Medical education assessment faces multifaceted challenges, including data complexity, resource constraints, bias, feedback translation, and educational continuity. Traditional approaches often fail to adequately address these issues, creating stressful and inequitable learning environments. This article introduces the concept of precision education, a data-driven paradigm aimed at personalizing the educational experience for each learner. It explores how artificial intelligence (AI), including its subsets machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL), can augment this model to tackle the inherent limitations of traditional assessment methods.AI can enable proactive data collection, offering consistent and objective assessments while reducing resource burdens. It has the potential to revolutionize not only competency assessment but also participatory interventions, such as personalized coaching and predictive analytics for at-risk trainees. The article also discusses key challenges and ethical considerations in integrating AI into medical education, such as algorithmic transparency, data privacy, and the potential for bias propagation.AI's capacity to process large datasets and identify patterns allows for a more nuanced, individualized approach to medical education. It offers promising avenues not only to improve the efficiency of educational assessments but also to make them more equitable. However, the ethical and technical challenges must be diligently addressed. The article concludes that embracing AI in medical education assessment is a strategic move toward creating a more personalized, effective, and fair educational landscape. This necessitates collaborative, multidisciplinary research and ethical vigilance to ensure that the technology serves educational goals while upholding social justice and ethical integrity.

Effectiveness of a multidisciplinary treatment with youth-initiated mentoring for youths with mental health needs from multi-problem families: a quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Children from multi-problem families have an increased risk for experiencing mental health problems. These families face problems in several domains that are often found to be chronic and intergenerational. Yet, the effects of mental health care for youths from multi-problem families are small at best, urging research on new treatment programs. The InConnection approach is an integrated care program to improve resilience of youths with mental health needs from multi-problem families by connecting professional expertise from multiple disciplines with the informal social network of the youth. Youths are asked to nominate a youth-initiated mentor (YIM) from the supportive adults in their network. METHODS: This quasi-experimental study compared the effectiveness of the InConnection approach to treatment as usual in a sample of 107 families (n = 66 intervention group, n = 41 control group) with n = 115 youths receiving treatment (cases). Youths (n = 102 reports, Mage = 15.59 years), parents (n = 85 reports) and case managers (n = 107 reports) responded to questionnaires four times over 15 months. Using these data, we measured youth resilience as the primary outcome, seven secondary outcomes, and three intermediate outcomes. RESULTS: Latent growth models showed only one significant change in outcomes over time across conditions, namely a decrease in case manager-reported child unsafety, and only two condition effects, which were both parent-reported. Parents in the InConnection group reported improvements over time in youth's emotional and behavioral problems and their own positive parenting, whereas control parents reported no changes (ps ≤ 0.013). DISCUSSION: The treatment conditions were not effective in improving most of the youth and parental outcomes over time, except for child safety reported by the case manager. The InConnection approach only outperformed care as usual on two parent-reported outcomes. Future research should examine for whom and under what circumstances the InConnection approach works more convincingly. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Netherlands Trial Register NL7565. Retrospectively registered on 05/03/2019.

Grounding the Work of Grassroots MCH Leaders in Storytelling.

Our Grassroots Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Initiative works to build the capacity of individuals and organizations in zip codes with persistently high infant mortality rates to bring about systems change that will improve maternal and child health (MCH) outcomes. Foundational to the Initiative is the training and mentoring of local women to become Grassroots MCH Leaders. We greatly honor that these women possess community expertise, essential to the Initiative's success. Our training equips them with strategies they can use to bring about changes in social, economic, political, and/or cultural systems that underlie poor birth outcomes. One impactful strategy they learn is the use of critical narrative intervention (CNI). This approach, grounded in the crafting and sharing of stories, complements statistical, behavioral, and medical approaches to improve MCH outcomes. This article describes the impact of CNI within the Grassroots MCH Initiative. Drawing from 14 Grassroots MCH Leaders' narratives, we present five significant maternal traumas and influential supports in their surrounding contexts. We explore the leaders' reflections on the impact of story development and dissemination. Our findings reveal that situating CNI within the context of a grassroots initiative provides opportunities for leaders to use their stories to advocate for systems change. Personal MCH narratives provide a powerful and respectful approach to public health promotion, as they highlight important systems-level failures that need to be addressed to sustainability improve MCH outcomes.

Clinical effectiveness and cost-impact after 2 years of a ketogenic diet and virtual coaching intervention for patients with diabetes.

AIM: We previously evaluated the impacts at 5 months of a digitally delivered coaching intervention in which participants are instructed to adhere to a very low carbohydrate, ketogenic diet. With extended follow-up (24 months), we assessed the longer-term effects of this intervention on changes in clinical outcomes, health care utilization and costs associated with outpatient, inpatient and emergency department use in the Veterans Health Administration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We employed a difference-in-differences model with a waiting list control group to estimate the 24-month change in glycated haemoglobin, body mass index, blood pressure, prescription medication use, health care utilization rates and associated costs. The analysis included 550 people with type 2 diabetes who were overweight or obese and enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration for health care. Data were obtained from electronic health records from 2018 to 2021. RESULTS: The virtual coaching and ketogenic diet intervention was associated with significant reductions in body mass index [-1.56 (SE 0.390)] and total monthly diabetes medication usage [-0.35 (SE 0.054)]. No statistically significant differences in glycated haemoglobin, blood pressure, outpatient visits, inpatient visits, or emergency department visits were observed. The intervention was associated with reductions in per-patient, per-month outpatient spending [-USD286.80 (SE 97.175)] and prescription drug costs (-USD105.40 (SE 30.332)]. CONCLUSIONS: A virtual coaching intervention with a ketogenic diet component offered modest effects on clinical and cost parameters in people with type 2 diabetes and with obesity or overweight. Health care systems should develop methods to assess participant progress and engagement over time if they adopt such interventions, to ensure continued patient engagement and goal achievement.

Communication and Activation in Pain to Enhance Relationships and Treat Pain with Equity (COOPERATE): a Qualitative Analysis of a Tailored Coaching Program for Black Patients with Chronic Pain.

BACKGROUND: Racial inequities in pain treatment are well-documented and persist despite national priorities focused on health equity. The COOPERATE (Communication and Activation in Pain to Enhance Relationships and Treat Pain with Equity) intervention was a patient-centered, tailored intervention aimed at improving health equity by targeting patient activation-the knowledge and confidence to manage one's health. COOPERATE led to significant and sustained increases in patient activation, significant short-term increases in communication self-efficacy (confidence to communicate with clinicians), and more intervention participants experienced clinically significant (≥ 30%) reductions in pain at 3 months than control group participants. OBJECTIVE: To understand how participants experienced the intervention, including their perspectives on its effects on their health and healthcare experiences. DESIGN: Semi-structured qualitative interviews. PARTICIPANTS: Black veterans with chronic pain who participated in the COOPERATE intervention. KEY RESULTS: Participants described acquiring new tools and cultivating skills to use in their clinic visits, including preparing for their visit (writing an agenda, listing questions); asking focused, effective questions; and expressing concerns and communicating goals, values, and preferences. Participants indicated that by putting these tools to use, they felt more confident and able to take ownership of their own pain care; for some, this led to better pain management and improved pain. Participants expressed mixed views of disparities in pain care, with some believing race and racism did not play a role in their care, while others valued being part of an intervention that helped equip them with tools to exercise autonomy over their healthcare. CONCLUSIONS: Black patients with chronic pain described gaining greater confidence to self-manage and communicate with their clinicians after participating in the COOPERATE intervention. With its focus on empowering individuals, the COOPERATE intervention represents a promising approach to help advance equity in pain care.

Designing Effective Mentorship for Underrepresented Faculty in Academic Medicine.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A dearth of training and resources exists for mentors to address the unique needs of faculty from racial/ethnic groups that are underrepresented in medicine (URiM). Mentoring Underrepresented Faculty for Academic Excellence (MUFAE) was a multi-institutional mentoring program designed to provide mentors where there were none. METHODS: In 2020, 25 early career URiM faculty mentees each were paired with advanced faculty, and pairs met individually for monthly calls for 1 year. Mentees completed pre- and postassessment surveys regarding their experience in the program. Mentees and mentors also participated in virtual group check-ins where they gave feedback on their experience to program leaders while also networking with fellow participants. RESULTS: Twenty-two of the 25 mentor-mentee pairs (88%) completed the program, and 17 of the 22 (77%) mentees completed the pre- and postsurveys. Survey responses showed significant increases in mentees reports of feeling they received mentorship focused on their needs as URiM faculty members, feeling equipped to advance in their careers, and feeling supported in their efforts to complete antiracism/health-equity programs. Feedback at the check-ins indicated that URiM mentors appreciated the opportunities to talk about their own frustrations and that White mentors appreciated having an increased understanding of challenges that their URIM colleagues faced. CONCLUSIONS: MUFAE is a model for academic societies to address the lack of mentors for URiM faculty. Mentees and mentors found the experience a meaningful one that fills a need in academic mentoring.

Characterization of teaching-learning tutors in public health services and topics of interest for their work / Caracterización de los tutores de enseñanza-aprendizaje en los servicios de salud pública y temas de interés para su actuación / Caracterização dos tutores de ensino-aprendizagem em serviços públicos de saúde e temas de interesse para atuação

ABSTRACT Objective: To describe the profile of teaching-learning tutors in public health services and investigate which topics are of greatest interest in development spaces for these actors. Method: Cross-sectional study. Eligible tutors of Health Care Planning. Data collection using an electronic questionnaire composed of closed questions on sociodemographic characteristics, training and performance. Chi-square test used to compare proportions according to tutor typologies. Results: A total of 614 tutors worked in Brazil's five geographic regions, the majority in primary care (82%), followed by state/regional work (13%) and specialized outpatient care (5%). The majority reported being female, of brown skin color, from the nursing field, having worked as a tutor for less than a year, and with no previous experience in preceptorship or similar. The most important topics were Health Care Networks, risk stratification for chronic conditions and the functions of specialized outpatient care. Conclusion: The predominance of certain characteristics among tutors was identified, with differences between the types of work. The findings can support managers in the process of selecting and developing tutors in Health Care Planning.

RESUMEN Objetivo: Describir el perfil de los tutores de enseñanza-aprendizaje de los servicios de salud pública e investigar los temas de mayor interés en espacios de desarrollo de estos actores. Método: Se trata de un estudio transversal con Tutores Elegibles de Planificación de la atención en salud; con datos recopilados mediante cuestionario electrónico de preguntas cerradas sobre características sociodemográficas, formación y actuación. Se utilizó la prueba de Chi-cuadrado para comparar las proporciones según las tipologías del tutor. Resultados: Se consideraron 614 tutores que trabajaban en las cinco regiones geográficas del Brasil, la mayoría en Atención Primaria (82%), seguido de actuación estatal/regional (13%) y Atención Ambulatoria Especializada (5%). La mayoría declaró ser mujer, de piel morena, del ámbito de la enfermería, con menos de un año de actuación como tutora y sin experiencia previa como preceptora o similar. Los temas más importantes fueron las Redes de la Atención en Salud, la estratificación del riesgo de las enfermedades crónicas y el papel de la Atención Ambulatoria Especializada. Conclusión: Se identificó el predominio de ciertas características entre los tutores, distintas según los tipos de actuación. Las conclusiones pueden servir de apoyo a los gestores en el proceso de selección y desarrollo de los tutores en Planificación.

RESUMO Objetivo: Descrever o perfil de tutores de ensino-aprendizagem em serviços públicos de saúde e investigar quais são os temas de maior interesse em espaços de desenvolvimento desses atores. Método: Estudo transversal. Elegíveis tutores da Planificação da Atenção à Saúde. Coleta de dados por questionário eletrônico composto por questões fechadas sobre características sociodemográficas, formação e atuação. Teste Qui-quadrado utilizado para comparar proporções segundo tipologias de tutor. Resultados: Considerados 614 tutores, que atuavam nas cinco regiões geográficas brasileiras, sendo a maioria na Atenção Primária (82%), seguido por atuação estadual/regional (13%) e na Atenção Ambulatorial Especializada (5%). A maioria referiu ser mulher, de cor da pele parda, da área de enfermagem, atuação como tutor há menos de 1 ano, e sem experiência prévia em preceptoria ou similar. Temas considerados mais importantes destacam-se Redes de Atenção à Saúde, estratificação de risco de condições crônicas e funções da Atenção Ambulatorial Especializada. Conclusão: Identificou-se a predominância de algumas características entre tutores, com diferenças entre as tipologias de atuação. Os achados podem apoiar gestores no processo de seleção e desenvolvimento de tutores na Planificação.

Support, networks, and relationships: Findings from a mixed-methods evaluation of a mentorship programme for early career women researchers in sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Low research output among women researchers in health research has been linked to inadequate mentorship opportunities for early career women researchers and particularly in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) field. Mentorship has been recognized as a contributor to strengthening research capacity and as beneficial for both mentors and mentees. Women researchers oftentimes experience negative impacts of organizational and structural gender inequities related to formal and informal mentoring. In 2020, the UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction at WHO launched a mentorship programme for early career SRHR women researchers from low- and middle-income countries. The programme sought to provide professional skill-building, promote and share networking opportunities, and offer support in navigating personal and professional life. We conducted a convergent parallel mixed-methods evaluation of the 2020 pilot programme, which included 26 participants, through an online survey and semi-structured in-depth interviews (IDIs). Data collection occurred between March and May 2022. Nineteen responded to the online survey (12 mentees, 7 mentors) and 11 IDIs (7 mentees, 4 mentors) were completed. Based on a preliminary framework, we used deductive and inductive methods to identify six themes: views on mentorship; reasons for applying and expectations of participation in the programme; preferred aspects of programme implementation; challenges with the programme implementation; perceived lasting benefits of the programme; and recommendations for improvement. All participants found the initial training useful, most discussed work-life prioritization throughout the mentorship relationship, and most planned to continue with the relationship. There appear to be ample benefits to mentorship, especially when planned and implemented in a structured manner. These attributes can be particularly beneficial when they are conceived as a two-way relationship of mutual learning and support, and especially for women at the start of their research careers as they navigate structural gender inequities.

Culturally Safe Mentoring for American Indian Nursing Students.

Being the least-represented ethnic/racial group in college settings, American Indian students may experience loneliness and self-doubt related to the challenges of adapting to an environment that embodies values, norms, and culture so different from those represented in their traditional culture. Ongoing health disparities and psychosocial inequities, and persisting impacts of historical colonization, have led to additional hardships for these students that further complicate their academic experiences. Fostering culturally safe learning environments where compassionate and caring faculty provide culturally aligned teaching is important in addressing these complex disparities. Derived from American Indian values and teachings, we present a culturally safe intergenerational mentoring approach that emphasizes the nursing mentors' responsibility to support the growth and success of American Indian nursing students. This approach, drawn from the wisdom of American Indian teachings, focuses on students' strengths and culturally based protective factors. Culturally informed faculty who are aware of the historical impacts of colonization and who have adequate mentoring capacity (time, interest, and commitment) contribute to safe and effective learning environments. Culturally safe mentoring is one approach to promoting American Indian students' potential for academic and professional success.

A Mentoring Initiative for Students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities: One Strategy to Increase Nursing Workforce Diversity and Advance Health Equity.

This article addresses low retention and graduation rates among historically marginalized students in nursing programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Mentoring is a proven success strategy to support systems for historically marginalized students, helping them navigate challenges, improving academic outcomes, and increasing the diversity of the nursing workforce. The article highlights the mentoring initiative of AARP's Center for Health Equity through Nursing and the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, an initiative of AARP Foundation, AARP, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the outcomes of this collaboration. The paper details the implementation of a mentoring initiative to enhance graduation rates and National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) success among historically marginalized students and emphasizes collaboration among institutions and organizations, as well as strategies for funding, mentor recruitment, and NCLEX preparation. Recommendations include promoting robust mentoring programs, preparing mentors, and conducting further research on the effects of mentoring on student outcomes in HBCUs.

Characteristics and quality assessment of online mentoring profile texts in academic medical mentoring.

BACKGROUND: Mentoring is important for a successful career in academic medicine. In online matching processes, profile texts are decisive for the mentor-selection. We aimed to qualitatively characterize mentoring-profile-texts, identify differences in form and content and thus elements that promote selection. METHODS: In a mixed method study first, quality of texts in 150 selected mentoring profiles was evaluated (10-point Likert scale; 1 = insufficient to 10 = very good). Second, based on a thematic and content analysis approach of profile texts, categories and subcategories were defined. We compared the presence of the assigned categories between the 25% highest ranked profiles with the 25% lowest ranked ones. Finally, additional predefined categories (hot topics) were labelled on the selected texts and their impact on student evaluation was statistically examined. RESULTS: Students rated the quality of texts with a mean of 5.89 ± 1.45. 5 main thematic categories, 21 categories and a total of 74 subcategories were identified. Ten subcategories were significantly associated with high- and four with low-rated profiles. The presence of three or more hot topics in texts significantly correlated with a positive evaluation. CONCLUSION: The introduced classification system helps to understand how mentoring profile texts are composed and which aspects are important for choosing a suited mentor.

Understanding the difference, makes the difference: perceptions of Black and Minoritised ethnic occupational therapists on mentoring.

INTRODUCTION: Black and Minoritised Ethnicity (BME) occupational therapists face lower career progression opportunities and mentoring is one possible intervention that may offer support. BME persons may have different expectations and experiences from their mentor, and research exploring their perceptions of mentoring is important. In Occupational Therapy there is a growing awareness of the need to be true to the values of social justice. The aim of this research is to learn about BME occupational therapists' experiences and perceptions of mentoring for career progression. METHODS: Four online focus groups involving 19 participants from the UK were held, discussions were facilitated by researchers using a topic guide. Participants responses were analysed, and codes were brought together to create Themes including career progression and role models, mentoring relationship, similarity with the mentor and outcomes from mentoring. RESULTS: The study highlighted that trust is integral to effective mentoring relationships and BME occupational therapists want mentors who they can trust with their experiences and stories. Compatibility between mentors and mentees in terms of personality, values, and working styles is crucial for effective mentoring relationships. Providing opportunities for networking, acknowledging good work and giving permission were all seen as outcomes from good mentoring. The absence of BME role models and ingroup bias were also reported as issues to be addressed. CONCLUSION: This study explores the perception of mentorship as a mechanism for career advancement in occupational therapists from BME backgrounds, with these results transferable to other health and care professional groups. We recommend the creation of a mentoring charter for BME healthcare workers in the United Kingdom to ensure that those from BME backgrounds feel supported, mentored, and provided with equitable access to resources, including adequate mentoring and networking opportunities.