What helps or hinders nurses to lead funded research projects? A survey of UK nurse lead-investigators.

BACKGROUND: There have been recurring UK initiatives to increase nurse research capability but little robust evaluation of long-term effectiveness. More nurses undertake doctorates, yet few lead major funded projects. Previous research suggests potential explanations but the perspectives of nurse lead-investigators themselves have not been examined. AIM: To explore the perceptions of nurse lead-investigators about what has helped or hindered them to lead funded research projects. METHODS: Lead investigators of research projects from major UK funders (1 Apr 2017-Sept 2022) were identified from publicly available data. University profiles were screened to identify registered nurses. Entire population was approached (no sample size calculation required). Consenting participants completed an online survey (five open questions). RESULTS: A total of 65 nurse-lead investigators were identified, 36 (55%) completed the survey (20 December 2022 to 17 February 2023). Participants identified Building (multi-disciplinary) collaborations and mentorship as having been most important to their success. High-quality mentoring was also identified as most important in helping novice nurse researchers become leaders. Participants highlighted the critical importance of being supported by individuals with a track record of funding success and benefits of being situated in research-supportive environments. Lack of career pathway/infrastructure and being unable to pursue research due to competing clinical/teaching priorities were identified as most unhelpful to this group AND the most common reasons for peers not going on to lead research. CONCLUSIONS: Ensuring access to mentors with an established track record is an important component of schemes to increase research capability in nurses. Funded, protected time for research and career structures that reward the significant skill development required to succeed in a competitive, multi-disciplinary funding arena is important. IMPACT: Interdisciplinary collaboration and mentorship by experienced researchers are critical to success and should be incorporated into future interventions to increase research capability in nurses. No patient or public contribution (as exploring a professional issue).

Implementing coaching programmes for healthcare professionals-A review of the barriers and facilitators.

BACKGROUND: The European Union faces severe and worsening personnel shortages in healthcare. Coaching has emerged as a human-centred strategy to enhance sustainable employment and retention. While the number of efficacy studies on coaching continues to grow, knowledge about the barriers and facilitators to implementing coaching interventions among healthcare professionals (HCPs) remains scarce. OBJECTIVES: This systematic review aimed to describe common barriers and facilitators to the implementation of coaching interventions for HCPs. METHODS: In April 2023, five databases were searched for eligible articles. Barriers and facilitators were systematically identified and mapped onto the constructs of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Directed content analysis yielded thematic areas and a reporting frequency. RESULTS: A total of thirty (n = 30) studies were included in this review, representing twenty-five (n = 25) distinct coaching programmes. Implementation determinants were clustered under two CFIR domains: the Inner Setting (8 facilitators, 5 barriers) and Implementation Process (6 facilitators, 1 barrier). Barriers included (i) limited organisational capacity, (ii) lack of psychological safety, (iii) competing work demands, and (iv) insufficient leadership buy-in, while facilitators were the (i) allocation of protected time for participants and coaches, (ii) promotion through opinion leaders, (iii) embeddedness in existing Continuous Professional Development programmes, and (iv) programme co-creation. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study provide practical insights to guide the future implementation of coaching interventions at an organisational level. In particular, the identified barriers and facilitators suggest, for optimal efficacy and sustainment, coaching interventions must be implemented within a safe, supportive organisational climate.

Growing the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Workforce Through Mentoring: A Scoping Review.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to highlight evidence specific to the neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP) workforce related to successful mentoring programs. Specifically, the authors of this article explored recent evidence of mentorship to improve job satisfaction and retention of the NNP workforce. BACKGROUND: NNPs are valuable members of neonatal healthcare team. Because of the aging NNP workforce, methods to recruit, train, mentor, develop, and retain new NNPs are imperative. METHODS: Using a quality appraisal tool from the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews, articles were identified through electronic database searches using search terms related to mentoring, nurse practitioners, recruitment, and retention. Studies published in English between 2013 and 2023 were included. Peer-reviewed quantitative and qualitative articles were synthesized and critically appraised by 4 reviewers. RESULTS: The authors identified 46 articles with a focus on mentoring in nursing of which 12 articles include mentoring for nurse practitioners. Research indicates that mentoring relationships are valuable in many healthcare roles and professions. Evidence is limited indicating the impact of mentoring in the highly specialized role of the NNP. CONCLUSION: Mentoring is an invaluable component of professional nursing and counters incivility while advancing competency, job satisfaction, and retention. Additional research is needed regarding NNP-specific mentoring programs.

The relationship between managerial coaching and role ambiguity among nurses in the military health system.

Managerial coaching may be an effective strategy to reduce role ambiguity among nurses. Although the benefits of coaching relationships have been demonstrated outside of nursing, there is a lack of evidence about this career development relationship in nursing. A cross-sectional design was used to determine the relationship between managerial coaching and role ambiguity among military and civilian nurses who work in the Military Health System (MHS). Nurses who worked at a large academic medical center in San Antonio, Texas were asked to participate by completing a survey to examine the variables of interest. Among the 382 nurses that responded, perceived role ambiguity was low and managerial coaching was seldom perceived from first-line supervisors. However, there was a significant negative relationship between managerial coaching and role ambiguity. This study provides foundational knowledge about the relationship between managerial coaching and role ambiguity for nurses working in the MHS.

Faculty Development in Academic Hospital Medicine: a Scoping Review.

This scoping review sought to identify and describe the state of academic faculty development programs in hospital medicine and other specialties. We reviewed faculty development content, structure, metrics of success including facilitators, barriers, and sustainability to create a framework and inform hospital medicine leadership and faculty development initiatives. We completed a systematic search of peer-reviewed literature and searched Ovid MEDLINE ALL (1946 to June 17, 2021) and Embase (via Elsevier, 1947 to June 17, 2021). Twenty-two studies were included in the final review, with wide heterogeneity in program design, program description, outcomes, and study design. Program design included a combination of didactics, workshops, and community or networking events; half of the studies included mentorship or coaching for faculty. Thirteen studies included program description and institutional experience without reported outcomes while eight studies included quantitative analysis and mixed methods results. Barriers to program success included limited time and support for faculty attendance, conflicting clinical commitments, and lack of mentor availability. Facilitators included allotted funding and time for faculty participation, formal mentoring and coaching opportunities, and a structured curriculum with focused skill development supporting faculty priorities. We identified heterogeneous historical studies addressing faculty development across highly variable program design, intervention, faculty targeted, and outcomes assessed. Common themes emerged, including the need for program structure and support, aligning areas of skill development with faculty values, and longitudinal mentoring/coaching. Programs require dedicated program leadership, support for faculty time and participation, curricula focused on skills development, and mentoring and sponsorship.

Pro-Con Debate: Consideration of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Is Detrimental to Successful Mentorship.

Anesthesiology remains a specialty with low representation of women or members of racial and ethnic groups considered underrepresented in medicine (UiM). In the United States, women account for 33% of anesthesiology residents, while physicians identifying as Black, African American, Latinx, American Indian, or Alaska Native account for approximately 10%. Underrepresentation of these groups is even more pronounced in academic anesthesiology, especially at the senior ranks and roles, such as department chairs. Leaders in the field have recently shared recommendations for how individual departments, medical schools, hospitals, and professional organizations can create and support a more diverse anesthesiology workforce. These commentaries have often stressed the importance of mentorship for supporting women and physicians from UiM groups, including mentorship of trainees and practicing anesthesiologists seeking to advance their careers. While the value of mentorship is undisputed, it remains a matter of controversy whether race, ethnicity, or gender should be explicitly considered by mentoring programs and individual mentors. In this article, we discuss whether and how race, ethnicity, and gender should be considered in the setting of mentorship programs and the formation of individual mentoring relationships, as well as some of the potential consequences that lie therein.

Self-reported continuing professional development needs of medical laboratory professionals in Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Because of the essential nature of the work of medical laboratory professionals, continuing development in knowledge and skills is indispensable. The study aimed at identifying and prioritizing the development and training needs of medical laboratory professionals in Ghana. This is expected to help in developing focused continuing professional development (CPD) that meets the needs of practitioners as well as the changing medical trends. METHODS: An online cross-sectional survey in February 2022 using a structured questionnaire was conducted. Respondents were asked questions that collected demographic and work-related data about them, their participation, preference, and challenges in being part of CPDs. Finally, a list of topics based on (i) quality management systems, (ii) technical competence, (iii) laboratory management, leadership, and coaching, (iv) pathophysiology, and (iv) data interpretation and research were asked with the option to rate them on a 3-point scale (most, moderate, and least) in order of importance. RESULTS: A total of 316 medical laboratory professionals participated in the study. Overall, the most frequently selected topics for training based on domains for CPD training and ranking as most important were (i) quality management systems, (mean = 80.59 ± 9.024; 95% CI = 73.04-88.13); (ii) pathophysiology, data interpretation, and research (mean = 78.0 ± 6.973; 95% CI = 73.97-82.03); (iii) technical competence (mean = 73.97 ± 10.65; 95% CI = 66.35-81.59); and (iv) laboratory management, leadership, and coaching (mean = 72.82 ± 9.719; 95% CI = 67.44-78.2). The factors affecting the choice of training needs included the medical laboratory professionals' current place of work, years in service, the reason for attending CPD activities, the period for attending the last CPD, being in a supervisory role, and the number of staff being supervised. Face-to-face presentations, training workshops, and hands-on workshops were the most preferred modes of CPD delivery with financial implications and workload/time constraints being the main challenges impeding CPD participation. CONCLUSION: The identified needs will help in developing CPD programs that address what medical laboratory professionals prioritize as training needs. Stakeholders should incorporate these training needs into future programs and address the challenges highlighted in this study to have more relevant training for medical laboratory professionals.

Effects of the ECHO tele-mentoring program on HIV/TB service delivery in health facilities in Zambia: a mixed-methods, retrospective program evaluation.

BACKGROUND: In the quest to ensure that quality healthcare is provided to all citizens through building healthcare worker capacity and extending reach for expert services, Zambia's Ministry of Health (MoH) in collaboration with its partners PEPFAR through the CDC and HRSA, began to implement the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) tele-mentoring program across the country through the Health Workers for the 21st Century (HW21) Project and University Teaching Hospital HIV/AIDS Project (UTH-HAP). This ECHO tele-mentoring approach was deemed pivotal in helping to improve the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) service delivery capacity of health care workers. METHOD: The study used a mixed method, retrospective program evaluation to examine ECHO participants' performance in the management of HIV/AIDS patients in all the 10 provinces of Zambia. CASE PRESENTATION: A phenomenological design was applied in order to elicit common experiences of ECHO users through focus group discussions using semi-structured facilitation guides in four provinces (Eastern, Lusaka, Southern and Western) implementing ECHO tele-mentoring approach. These provinces were purposively selected for this study. From which, only participants that had a monthly frequency of ECHO attendance of ten (10) and above were selected. The participants were purposively selected based on the type of cadre as well as facility type so that the final sample consisted of Doctors, Nurses, Midwives, Clinical Officers, Medical Licentiates, Pharmacy and Laboratory Personnel. All sessions were audio recorded and transcribed by the data collectors. A thematic content analysis approach was adopted for analyzing content of the interview's transcripts. RESULTS: Enhanced knowledge and skills of participants on HIV/TB improved by 46/70 (65.7%) in all provinces, while 47/70 (67.1%) of the participants reported that ECHO improved their clinical practice. Further, 12/70 (17.1%) of participants in all provinces reported that presenter/presentation characteristics facilitated ECHO implementation and participation. While, 15/70(21.4%) of the participants reported that ownership of the program had contributed to ECHO implementation and participation. Coordination, another enabler accounted for 14/70 (20%). Inclusiveness was reported as a barrier by 16/70 (22.8%) of the participants while 6/70 (8.6%) of them reported attitudes as a barrier (8.6%) to ECHO participation. In addition, 34/70 (48.6%) reported poor connectivity as a barrier to ECHO implementation and participation while 8/70 (11.5%) of the participants reported that the lack of ownership of the ECHO program was a barrier. 22/70 (31.4%) reported that increased workload was also a barrier to the program's implementation. CONCLUSION: Consistent with its logical pathway model, healthcare providers' participation in ECHO sessions and onsite mentorship contributed to improved knowledge on HIV/TB among health care providers and patient health outcomes. In addition, barriers to ECHO implementation were intrinsic to the program its self, such as coordination, presenter and presentation characteristics other barriers were extrinsic to the program such as poor connectivity, poor infrastructure in health facilities and negative attitudes towards ECHO. Improving on intrinsic factors and mitigating extrinsic factors may help improve ECHO outcomes and scale-up plans.

Six Practical Strategies to Mentor and Sponsor Women in Academic Medicine.

This article focuses on the importance of mentorship and sponsorship for women in academic medicine, including trainees and faculty, and emphasizes the need for flexible and expanded definitions. Both the benefits and potential harms associated with sponsorship are described. There are 6 actionable strategies illustrated that may be added to a multidimensional mentoring model in order to better support women in medicine.

How to be a GREAT mentor.

Formal training in how to mentor is not generally available to students, postdoctoral fellows, or junior faculty. We provide here a framework to develop as a mentor, using the GREAT model. This includes giving opportunities and opening doors; reaching out to help students identify their strengths and reach their goals; encouraging them by serving as a positive example; advising each mentee as an individual; and training them for independent thinking. In this personal view, we expand on each of these steps to illustrate how to develop a personalized mentoring style of your own. By combining these approaches, you as a mentor can work with your mentees to develop an effective and productive mentoring relationship.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We provide here a framework to develop as a mentor, using the GREAT model. This includes giving opportunities and opening doors; reaching out to help students identify their strengths and reach their goals; encouraging them by serving as a positive example; advising each mentee as an individual; and training them for independent thinking.

Are committee experiences of minoritized family medicine faculty part of the minority tax? a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Because much of the work in academic medicine is done by committee, early career URiM faculty, are often asked to serve on multiple committees, including diversity work that may not be recognized as important. They may also be asked to serve on committees to satisfy a diversity "check box," and may be asked more often than their non-URiM peers to serve in this capacity. We sought to describe the committee experiences of early career URiM faculty, hypothesizing that they may see committee service as a minority tax. METHODS: Participants in the Leadership through Scholarship Fellowship (LTSF) were asked to share their experiences with committee service in their careers after participating in a faculty development discussion. Their responses were analyzed and reported using qualitative, open, axial, and abductive reasoning methods. RESULTS: Four themes, with eight sub-themes (in parenthesis), emerged from the content analysis of the LTSF fellows responses to the prompt: Time commitment (Timing of committee work and lack of protected time for research and scholarship), URiM Committee service (Expectation that URiM person will serve on committees and consequences for not serving), Mentoring issues (no mentoring regarding committee service, faculty involvement is lacking and the conflicting nature of committee work) and Voice (Lack of voice or acknowledgement). CONCLUSIONS: Early career URiM faculty reported an expectation of serving on committees and consequences for not serving related to their identity, but other areas of committee service they shared were not connected to their URiM identity. Because most of the experiences were not connected to the LTSF fellows' URiM identity, this group has identified areas of committee service that may affect all early career faculty. More research is necessary to determine how committee service affects URiM and non-URiM faculty in academic family medicine.

A Systematic Review of Workplace Physical Activity Coaching.

Aim Studies show that about 60 min of moderate physical activity (PA) per day compensate for sitting all day at work. However, the workplace offers an ideal setting for health-promoting interventions such as PA coaching as a person-centered intervention aimed at achieving lasting health behavior changes. Given a good evidence base of health coaching studies in general, this systematic review aims to provide an overview of workplace PA coaching interventions. Methods This review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. Studies published up to July 2021 were considered based on the following inclusion criteria: (1) longitudinal intervention studies, (2) analysis of PA at work, (3) sedentary employees, (4) PA coaching in the workplace as intervention, (5) increasing workplace PA. Results Of 4323 studies found, 14 studies with 17 interventions met inclusion criteria. All 17 interventions indicated an increase in at least one PA outcome. Twelve interventions indicated significant improvements in at least one workplace or total PA outcome. There is a high variation within the different coaching parameters, such as behavior change techniques and communication channels. The study quality showed a moderate to high risk of bias. Conclusions The majority of interventions provided evidence for the effectiveness of workplace PA coaching. Nevertheless, the results are inconclusive with regard to the variety of coaching parameters and thus no general statement can be made about the effectiveness of individual parameters. However, this variety of parameters also leads to a high degree of individualization of workplace PA coaching interventions to increase PA for different groups of employees and different types of workplaces.

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

BACKGROUND: To address the need for faculty scientists, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) provided support for an accelerated PhD program: Future of Nursing Scholars (FNS). PURPOSE: To 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. METHODS: Surveys were sent to faculty mentors of FNS to understand mentoring activities, strategies used, and mentee productivity. FINDINGS: Of 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 CONCLUSION: Mentors 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.

Supporting new graduate nurses' transition to practice.

ABSTRACT: How new graduate nurses are supported may determine whether or not they stay at the bedside. A strong preceptorship, mentoring, and support system can retain and grow this workforce. This article presents practical guidelines for experienced nurses when supporting colleagues new to clinical practice.

Surgical coaching in obstetrics and gynecology: an evidence-based strategy to elevate surgical education and promote lifelong learning.

The American Board of Medical Specialties, of which the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology is a member, released recommendations in 2019 reimagining specialty certification and highlighting the importance of individualized feedback and data-driven advances in clinical practice throughout the physicians' careers. In this article, we presented surgical coaching as an evidence-based strategy for achieving lifelong learning and practice improvement that can help to fulfill the vision of the American Board of Medical Specialties. Surgical coaching involves the development of a partnership between 2 surgeons in which 1 surgeon (the coach) guides the other (the participant) in identifying goals, providing feedback, and facilitating action planning. Previous literature has demonstrated that surgical coaching is viewed as valuable by both coaches and participants. In particular, video-based coaching involves reviewing recorded surgical cases and can be integrated into the physicians' busy schedules as a means of acquiring and advancing both technical and nontechnical skills. Establishing surgical coaching as an option for continuous learning and improvement in practice has the potential to elevate surgical performance and patient care.

An Innovative Workforce Initiative to Support New Graduate Nurses: Clinical Nurse Transition Coaches.

Nursing leaders at Yale New Haven Health System identified a need among new-graduate nurses for further support beyond their accredited new-graduate residency program. The Clinical Nurse Transition Coach (CNTC) program focused on moving from individual tasks to caring for the entire patient, fostered by focused mentoring and education. The CNTC nurses were experienced and worked with a team of 10 new-graduate nurses.

The Use of Virtual Mentoring With Underrepresented Minority Groups in Baccalaureate Programs of Nursing: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

AIM: The purpose of this systematic review is to explore the state of science on virtual mentoring in baccalaureate programs of nursing (BSN) and its impact on recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority (URM) groups. BACKGROUND: Research shows that URMs have significantly higher attrition rates than other BSN students. Innovative approaches to recruitment and retention through virtual means may increase the diversity of BSN programs and the nursing workforce. METHOD: Studies in peer-reviewed articles between 2010 and 2021 were selected based on their relevance to the research questions posed. Evidence was summarized. RESULTS: Although literature validated that virtual mentoring is used with graduate students, few BSN programs use mentoring as a strategy to recruit and retain URMs. None of the studies reviewed used this intervention virtually. CONCLUSION: Additional research is required to determine if virtual mentoring can be used to recruit and retain URMs.

Research training incorporating education and mentoring for rural and regional allied health professionals: An evaluation study.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Building rural health workforce research capacity is critical to addressing rural health inequalities. Research training is a mainstay research capacity building strategy. This paper describes the delivery and evaluation of a research training program for rural and regional allied health professions (AHPs). DESIGN: A mentored research training program was delivered to AHPs employed public health services in rural and regional Victoria, Australia. The program was evaluated using the Evidence-Based Practice Knowledge Attitudes and Practice (EBP-KAP) tool at baseline and 3 months post-training. Semi-structured interviews undertaken at 3 and 16 months post-training explored participants' perspectives of the training, their development and application of EBP and research skills. Survey data were analysed descriptively, and interview data were analysed using a framework approach. FINDINGS: Thirty-four individuals from 14 organisations attended the first workshop and 31 attended the second. Thirty-one participants completed the survey at baseline and nine at 3 months post-training. Sixteen interviews were undertaken with 11 participants, five participating at both time points. Participants had positive EBP attitudes at both time points. Overall, participants' knowledge and incorporation of EBP into their practice, and retrieval of evidence was unchanged 3 months post-training. Themes identified in the interview data were as follows: (1) individual research capacity enhanced through supported practice, (2) organisational factors influence individuals' progression of research and (3) individual contributions towards research capacity within the organisation. CONCLUSION: A mentored rural research training program promoted the application of EBP skills at the individual level and contributed to organisational research capacity.

Mentoring in Medicine-Making It Matter.

Mentors are instrumental in the professional and personal growth of healthcare professionals. However, there is often reluctance to serve as a mentor due to a variety of perceived barriers. Attendees will be encouraged and empowered to engage in mentoring relationships that provide both the mentor and the mentee with a rewarding experience. This reflection will define mentoring, discuss mentoring competencies, and describe the mentoring process.

Assessment of training and mentoring for DR-TB care decentralization in Tanzania.

INTRODUCTION: Drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) care shifted from centralized to decentralized care in Tanzania in 2015. This study explored whether DR-TB training and mentoring supported healthcare workers' (HCWs) DR-TB care performance. METHODS: This mixed study assessed HCWs' DR-TB care knowledge, the training quality, and the mentoring around 454 HCWs who were trained across 55 DR-TB sites between January 2016 and December 2017. Pre- and post-training tests, end-of-training evaluation, supervisor's interviews, DR-TB team self-assessment and team focus group discussion were conducted among trained HCWs. Interim and final treatment results of the national central site and the decentralized sites were compared. RESULTS: HCW's knowledge increased for 15-20% between pre-training and post-training. HCWs and supervisors perceived mentoring as most appropriate to further develop their DR-TB competencies. Culture negativity after 6 months of treatment was similar for the decentralized sites compared to the national central site, 81% vs 79%, respectively, whereas decentralized sites had less loss to follow-up (0% versus 3%) and fewer deaths (3% versus 12%). Delays in laboratory results, stigma, and HCWs shortage were reported the main challenges of decentralized care. CONCLUSIONS: Training and mentoring to provide DR-TB care at decentralized sites in Tanzania improved HCWs' knowledge and skills in DR-TB care and supported observed good interim and final patient treatment outcomes despite health system challenges.