Building strong health and career trajectories through translational research.

Translational research (TR) is the movement of fundamental scientific discoveries into healthcare settings and population health policy, and parallels the goals of DOHaD research. Unfortunately, there is little guidance on how to become a translational researcher. To understand the opinions of DOHaD trainees towards TR, we conducted a workshop at the DOHaD World Congress 2022. We found that trainees were enthusiastic for their work to have translational impact, and that they feel that holistic, multidisciplinary solutions may lead to more generalisable research. However, there lacks support for TR career pathways, which may stall the execution of the long-term vision of the DOHaD agenda. We put forward recommendations for trainees to clarify their purpose in pursuing TR and for seeking relevant people and patronages to support their training paths. For mentors, training institutions, and scientific societies, we recommend developing TR-specific programmes, and implementing training opportunities, networking events, and funding to support these endeavours.

Moving the needle further and faster: Policy and leadership opportunities to support early career nurse faculty and build resilience in establishing and growing their programs of research.

Nurse scientists play a critical role in advancing the nursing field and improving health, but early career faculty can enter the academic ranks with little training in how to effectively establish, manage, and grow a program of research (POR) or weather the storms that accompany a research-intensive academic path. This can lead many nurse scientists to leave academic positions or even abandon their POR altogether. This is problematic at a societal level because nurse scientists bring a unique and valuable holistic perspective to scientific inquiry and an orientation towards community-based work, team science, intersectionality, and participatory approaches essential to address urgent health challenges. To enhance the impact of nurse scientists as a collective on academic research and human health, more attention should be given to the concept of resilience in the context of a research-focused career and the necessary structural changes that effectively support early career faculty in establishing thriving PORs. This article offers considerations relevant to administrative leaders, policymakers, and established faculty, at both the institutional and disciplinary level, to support early career faculty in establishing PORs that take root and flourish.

Using quotients as a mentor to facilitate the success of underrepresented students.

Choosing a mentor requires a certain level of introspection for both the mentor and the mentee. The dynamics of mentorship may change depending on the academic status of the mentee. Regardless, mentors should help their trainees grow both academically and professionally. The success of an individual in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) depends on more than intellectual capacity; a holistic view encompassing all factors that contribute to scientific achievement is all-important. Specifically, one new method scientists can adopt is quotients, which are scales and techniques that can be used to measure aptitude in a specific area. In this paper, we focus on these factors and how to grow one's adversity quotient (AQ), social quotient (SQ), and personal growth initiative scale (PGIS). We also look at how mentors can better understand the biases of their trainees. In addressing this, mentors can help trainees become more visible and encourage other trainees to become allies through reducing biases.

Nurturing our new midwives: A qualitative enquiry of mentor's experiences of supporting new graduate midwives working in continuity of care models.

PROBLEM: Limited opportunity exists for new graduates in Australia to be employed in continuity of care midwifery models. AIM: To explore the perspectives of midwifery mentors supporting new graduate midwives employed in continuity of care models. METHODS: An interpretive, qualitative study was conducted. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups with senior midwifery staff who mentored new graduate midwives during their transition to practice within a continuity of care model were undertaken. Digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim, data were thematically analysed. Data collection ceased once theoretical saturation had been achieved. NVIVO software was used to assist with coding and data management. FINDINGS: Twelve mentors participated. Mentors provided valuable feedback to optimise the supportive mechanisms to enable the success of the rotation of new graduate midwives in continuity of care models during their transition to practice period. Three key themes were constructed, including: Getting it right in the first place; Nurturing our new midwives; and The cultural void. DISCUSSION: Consistent with the wider literature, effective implementation, sound support structures and wider acceptance of new graduate midwives transitioning to practice within continuity of care models is crucial to its success and sustainability. CONCLUSION: Mentors are responsible to nurture, respect and guide new midwives through this crucial period, as they transition from midwifery student to registered midwife. Mentors believe in the transition of new graduate midwives in continuity of care models.

Supporting early-career women researchers: lessons from a global mentorship programme.

Mentorship is an important contributor to strengthening research capacity among health researchers. Formal mentorship programmes, targeting women mentees can help mitigate some of the gendered power dynamics and can also help early career researchers learn from others' experiences of navigating these challenges. In 2020, the UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction at the World Health Organization launched a mentorship programme geared towards early career women researchers. This paper describes the process of designing and implementing a mentorship programme for early career women sexual and reproductive health and rights researchers from low- and middle-income countries including valuable lessons learned vis-à-vis existing evidence. Some of these findings have been incorporated into iterations of the programme launched in 2022. Critical points include: ensuring considerations for language and geographical distribution; allowing mentees to participate in the matching process; providing training and opportunities to network and learn from other participants; offering the support and structure for developing these relationships. Providing women researchers with the tools - through mentorship - to navigate the unique challenges they face in their career journeys, can have a lasting impact on research capacity. Countries and institutions committed to strengthening research capacity need to focus on the holistic growth and motivation of individuals in a way that ensures gender equality.

The impact of professional midwives and mentoring on the quality and availability of maternity care in government sub-district hospitals in Bangladesh: a mixed-methods observational study.

BACKGROUND: This study compared government sub-district hospitals in Bangladesh without globally standard midwives, with those with recently introduced midwives, both with and without facility mentoring, to see if the introduction of midwives was associated with improved quality and availability of maternity care. In addition, it analysed the experiences of the newly deployed midwives and the maternity staff and managers that they joined. METHODS: This was a mixed-methods observational study. The six busiest hospitals from three pre-existing groups of government sub-district hospitals were studied; those with no midwives, those with midwives, and those with midwives and mentoring. For the quantitative component, observations of facility readiness (n = 18), and eight quality maternity care practices (n = 641) were carried out using three separate tools. Willing maternity staff (n = 237) also completed a survey on their knowledge, perceptions, and use of the maternity care interventions. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to identify differences between the hospital types. The qualitative component comprised six focus groups and 18 interviews involving midwives, other maternity staff, and managers from the three hospital types. Data were analysed using an inductive cyclical process of immersion and iteration to draw out themes. The quantitative and qualitative methods complemented each other and were used synergistically to identify the study's insights. RESULTS: Quantitative analysis found that, of the eight quality practices, hospitals with midwives but no mentors were significantly more likely than hospitals without midwives to use three: upright labour (94% vs. 63%; OR = 22.57, p = 0.001), delayed cord clamping (88% vs. 11%; OR = 140.67, p < 0.001), skin-to-skin (94% vs. 13%; OR = 91.21, p < 0.001). Hospitals with mentors were significantly more likely to use five: ANC card (84% vs. 52%; OR = 3.29, p = 0.002), partograph (97% vs. 14%; OR = 309.42, p = 0.002), upright positioning for labour (95% vs. 63%; OR = 1850, p < 0.001), delayed cord clamping (98% vs. 11%; OR = 3400, p = 0.003), and skin-to-skin contact following birth (93% vs. 13%; OR = 70.89, p < 0.001) Qualitative analysis identified overall acceptance of midwives and the transition to improved quality care; this was stronger with facility mentoring. The most resistance to quality care was expressed in facilities without midwives. In facilities with midwives and mentoring, midwives felt proud, and maternity staff conveyed the greatest acceptance of midwives. CONCLUSION: Facilities with professional midwives had better availability and quality of maternity care across multiple components of the health system. Care quality further improved with facility mentors who created enabling environments, and facilitated supportive relationships between existing maternity staff and managers and the newly deployed midwives.

Assessing Combined Longitudinal Mentorship and Skills Training on Select Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes in Rural and Urban Health Facilities in Malawi.

INTRODUCTION: Despite successful efforts to improve clinical access and skilled birth attendance in Malawi, it still faces high rates of maternal and neonatal mortality. In 2017, the UCSF-GAIN partnership began a nurse-midwifery clinical education and longitudinal mentorship program. While it has received positive reviews, it is unclear whether routinely collected indicators can assess such a program's impact. METHOD: A longitudinal review of the Malawian DHIS2 database explored variables associated with maternal and newborn care and outcomes before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using generalized estimating equations (GEE) to account for facility-level correlations over time. RESULTS: Quality issues with DHIS2 data were identified. Significant changes potentially associated with the GAIN intervention were noted. DISCUSSION: The GAIN approach appears to be associated with positive trends in maternal and neonatal care. National summary databases are problematic, however, for evaluating targeted interventions and the provision of care to specific outcomes.

Implementing surgical mentorship in a resource-constrained context: a mixed methods assessment of the experiences of mentees, mentors, and leaders, and lessons learned.

BACKGROUND: A well-qualified workforce is critical to effective functioning of health systems and populations; however, skill gaps present a challenge in low-resource settings. While an emerging body of evidence suggests that mentorship can improve quality, access, and systems in African health settings by building the capacity of health providers, less is known about its implementation in surgery. We studied a novel surgical mentorship intervention as part of a safe surgery intervention (Safe Surgery 2020) in five rural Ethiopian facilities to understand factors affecting implementation of surgical mentorship in resource-constrained settings. METHODS: We designed a convergent mixed-methods study to understand the experiences of mentees, mentors, hospital leaders, and external stakeholders with the mentorship intervention. Quantitative data was collected through a survey (n = 25) and qualitative data through in-depth interviews (n = 26) in 2018 to gather information on (1) intervention characteristics including areas of mentorship, mentee-mentor relationships, and mentor characteristics, (2) organizational context including facilitators and barriers to implementation, (3) perceived impact, and (4) respondent characteristics. We analyzed the quantitative and qualitative data using frequency analysis and the constant comparison method, respectively; we integrated findings to identify themes. RESULTS: All mentees (100%) experienced the intervention as positive. Participants perceived impact as: safer and more frequent surgical procedures, collegial bonds between mentees and mentors, empowerment among mentees, and a culture of continuous learning. Over 70% of all mentees reported their confidence and job satisfaction increased. Supportive intervention characteristics included a systems focus, psychologically safe mentee-mentor relationships, and mentor characteristics including generosity with time and knowledge, understanding of local context, and interpersonal skills. Supportive organizational context included a receptive implementation climate. Intervention challenges included insufficient clinical training, inadequate mentor support, and inadequate dose. Organizational context challenges included resource constraints and a lack of common understanding of the intervention. CONCLUSION: We offer lessons for intervention designers, policy makers, and practitioners about optimizing surgical mentorship interventions in resource-constrained settings. We attribute the intervention's success to its holistic approach, a receptive climate, and effective mentee-mentor relationships. These qualities, along with policy support and adapting the intervention through user feedback are important for successful implementation.

"One of those things the student is left to do". Student midwives' experience of infant feeding education. A phenomenological study.

AIM/OBJECTIVE: To explore final year student midwives' experiences of breastfeeding education and clinical experience during their three year pre-registration midwifery degree course. BACKGROUND: Despite an increasing research base about what helps or hinders breastfeeding, there is a dramatic drop in breastfeeding prevalence within the first six weeks of birth. Breastfeeding support and education have been identified as influencing factors associated with breastfeeding prevalence, yet there is a paucity of evidence exploring infant feeding education for pre-registration student midwives. DESIGN: Qualitative data was gathered using semi-structured interviews with seventeen final year midwifery students in a Higher Education Institution in the North of England. METHODS: Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Three core themes were identified: The Mentor-Student Relationship, Midwives and student midwives' attitudes towards breastfeeding and Theory-Practice Disassociation. University-based input provided them with underpinning knowledge but provided little opportunity to develop skills. Attitudes towards breastfeeding were predominantly negative, and these negative descriptions were frequently linked by students to time constraints and workload pressures. The relationship between students and mentors had a direct impact on students' development of breastfeeding support skills and confidence: students who had mentors who were enthusiastic about their role in facilitating learning in clinical practice were confident in supporting women with infant feeding. However, many students described the hospital environment as too busy for infant feeding skills teaching and guidance. CONCLUSIONS: Although few participants were dissatisfied with how their pre-registration midwifery education prepared them for clinical practice in general, the majority would have liked more opportunities to support women with infant feeding in complex and challenging cases, both in University and in clinical practice. There is a need for midwifery students to be provided with a variety of educational experiences such as theoretical classroom-based learning, simulation-based learning, peer learning, clinical care practice and direct service user engagement. These learning experiences need to include artificial feeding and breastfeeding.

Results of the George Washington University cancer center's comprehensive cancer control cancer communication mentorship program and implications for future practice.

PURPOSE: The Comprehensive Cancer Control Cancer Communication Mentorship Program ("Mentorship Program") was created by the George Washington University Cancer Center (GWCC) to provide technical assistance (TA) in implementing evidence-based cancer screening communication interventions and support networking for comprehensive cancer control (CCC) professionals. The Mentorship Program matched entry-to mid-level CCC professionals with health communication and/or CCC experts and offered monthly web-based discussions with academic researchers and practitioners who shared their knowledge and provided applied learning opportunities throughout mentees' project planning, implementation and evaluation. The program objective was for mentees to improve health communication skills and apply evidence-based knowledge to reduce the burden of cancer. METHODS: A mixed methods evaluation was conducted, including a qualitative description of each project and its outcomes as well as quantitative measures of satisfaction with the program and self-rated changes in competence. RESULTS: Mentees represented the following locations: New Jersey, Arkansas, Michigan, West Virginia, and Republic of Palau. Project topics ranged from increasing Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations to increasing screening uptake for colorectal cancer, lung cancer, cervical cancer, and breast cancer. Evaluation results from pre- and post-program communication competency self-assessments and mid- and post-program surveys revealed that the Mentorship Program advanced personal and professional goals and improved public health communication skills. CONCLUSION: The Mentorship Program achieved its objectives for peer networking and offering expert TA in cancer prevention and control communication, offering a promising model for others involved in supporting implementation of evidence in practice.

Mentoring future science leaders to thrive.

Mentoring is a well-known subject, but we know little about it as a science. We need to learn more about how to evolve mentorship. In this article, we propose some new directions for mentorship in the present and the future.

Midwives Mentoring Midwives: A Review of the Evidence and Best Practice Recommendations.

Mentoring involves a reciprocal relationship between a more experienced person (mentor) who offers guidance and counsel to a less experienced person (mentee). Reported benefits of mentoring among students of varying health professions include skill acquisition, understanding of the professional role, acclimation to the culture of the health profession, and personal and professional development. Globally, the midwifery profession has a long-standing history of mentoring students and new graduate midwives. However, only one study has described a formal mentoring program within the US midwifery profession. Therefore, to inform best practice for both formal and informal mentoring programs, current mentoring programs are summarized and a state of the science review on mentoring within midwifery in the United States and internationally was conducted. Three types of mentoring relationships are discussed: (1) student to student (peer), (2) midwife to student, and (3) midwife to new graduate midwife. Effective models and recommended approaches for the development and expansion of mentoring are discussed, to sustain, diversify, and scale up the midwifery workforce. Personal attributes and action steps of effective mentors and mentees are provided.

Indigenous Knowledge: Revitalizing Everlasting Relationships between Alaska Natives and Sled Dogs to Promote Holistic Wellbeing.

INTRODUCTION: Indigenous peoples have documented their culture's history in oral stories, revealing lessons about holistic relationships fostering perseverance. Despite vast differences in time, relationships and stories are equally important today. Athabascans retain their values, life skills, and wellness through cultural practices. Creating opportunities for youths to learn through reciprocal relationships increases wellness in Indigenous communities, highlighting the significance of community-developed programs that connect youths to their place and culture. METHOD: Athabascan youths in rural Alaska get hands-on experience and Elder mentorship working with sled dogs in the Frank Attla Youth and Sled Dog Care-Mushing Program (FAYSDP). Through a community-based participatory research partnership with the community of Huslia and Jimmy Huntington School, we examined how FAYSDP affects youths, and how relationships within culture and land promote wellbeing. Fifteen middle and high-school youths shared their perspectives on how FAYSDP impacts them and their community using photovoice and digital storytelling. Nineteen adults contributed their perspectives in focus groups. We used emerging themes (inductive) and Athabascan cultural values and elements of social capital (deductive approaches) to analyze the qualitative data. RESULTS: Findings illustrate how FAYSDP promotes wellbeing by empowering youths to apply what they learn to generate their own knowledge, while centering communities around culturally significant practices such as dog mushing. It connects youths to their home and their cultural values, using dogs as the driving force to bridge generations and foster youth wellness. DISCUSSION: We discuss implications for community-based programs that engage Elders as teachers and the land as their classroom to promote youth holistic wellness.

Saving babies' lives (SBL) - a programme to reduce neonatal mortality in rural Cambodia: study protocol for a stepped-wedge cluster-randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal mortality remains unacceptably high. Many studies successful at reducing neonatal mortality have failed to realise similar gains at scale. Effective implementation and scale-up of interventions designed to tackle neonatal mortality is a global health priority. Multifaceted programmes targeting the continuum of neonatal care, with sustainability and scalability built into the design, can provide practical insights to solve this challenge. Cambodia has amongst the highest neonatal mortality rates in South-East Asia, with rural areas particularly affected. The primary objective of this study is the design, implementation, and assessment of the Saving Babies' Lives programme, a package of interventions designed to reduce neonatal mortality in rural Cambodia. METHODS: This study is a five-year stepped-wedge cluster-randomised trial conducted in a rural Cambodian province with an estimated annual delivery rate of 6615. The study is designed to implement and evaluate the Saving Babies' Lives programme, which is the intervention. The Saving Babies' Lives programme is an iterative package of neonatal interventions spanning the continuum of care and integrating into the existing health system. The Saving Babies' Lives programme comprises two major components: participatory learning and action with community health workers, and capacity building of primary care facilities involving facility-based mentorship. Standard government service continues in control arms. Data collection covering the whole study area includes surveillance of all pregnancies, verbal and social autopsies, and quality of care surveys. Mixed methods data collection supports iteration of the complex intervention, and facilitates impact, outcome, process and economic evaluation. DISCUSSION: Our study uses a robust study design to evaluate and develop a holistic, innovative, contextually relevant and sustainable programme that can be scaled-up to reduce neonatal mortality. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04663620 . Registered on 11th December 2020, retrospectively registered.

Undergraduate student nurses' experiences of their community placements.

BACKGROUND: Community nursing placements play an increasingly important part in the undergraduate nursing students learning experience as a greater proportion of health care delivery is set to migrate to community care settings. Therefore, nursing education programmes and health services must ensure that student nurses are exposed to high quality community placements that provide suitable learning experiences for students to acquire the skills and knowledge required for the health service of the future. OBJECTIVES: This qualitative evidence synthesis examines undergraduate nursing students' experiences of community nursing placements from 1996 to date. DESIGN: Qualitative Evidence Synthesis, Thematic synthesis. DATA SOURCES: CINHAL, EMBASE, ProQuest, Medline, Embase, Scopus, Psycinfo. REVIEW METHODS: A systematic search across electronic databases was carried out to identify all available existing evidence relevant to the search question. Data was extracted and synthesised through thematic synthesis to identify and interpret emerging themes. RESULTS: Six qualitative studies were included in the data, from these three themes were identified. The first of these highlighted the important influence of the community nursing teams and mentor on the students' placement experience. The second theme highlights the students' professional development as a result of their community placements and finally the third theme explores the students' perceptions of the essence of caring in the community. CONCLUSION: The community provides valuable learning experiences of nursing from an alternative perspective, enhancing professional development and understanding of the nurse patient relationship. Mentorship and inclusion in teams are key factors that influence students' experiences and this working environment is useful for teaching about holistic care that is person and family centered. Role modeling is enhanced by the pace and proximity of the mentoring relationship.

Time for change? A qualitative exploration of the educational preparation and subsequent continuing professional development needs of nurse and midwife prescribers.

AIM/OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore nurse and midwife prescribers' perception of their educational preparation for the role and identify continuing professional development (CPD) requirements to generate practitioner-based knowledge with the potential to inform education and research, policy and practice. BACKGROUND: Educational preparation for the nurse and midwife prescribing role has remained relatively unchanged since its introduction and follows a model whereby practitioners engage in theoretical learning and learning situated within the clinical environment, facilitated by a dedicated medical mentor. No significant examination of this preparation has been undertaken in Ireland since 2009. DESIGN: This was a qualitative study, guided by elements associated with hermeneutic phenomenology. METHODS: Following research ethics approval and informed consent, 16 participants from 2 maternity hospitals participated in one-to-one audio recorded semi-structured interviews. RESULTS: Participants experience of the education programme varied with some acknowledging the importance of a broad pharmacological module whereas others believed it to be irrelevant given their prescribing scope was in many instances quiet narrow. The experience of being mentored by a medical doctor ranged from a positive learning experience to one which did not contribute to learning. Barriers to engaging with CPD were identified along with advancements in the practice arena which identify additional CPD requirements. CONCLUSIONS: This study has generated practitioner-based knowledge which provides direction for future developments in the educational preparation of nurse and midwife prescribers, particularly around pharmacology and mentorship and outlines specific CPD requirements for practitioners.

Assessing the impact of mentorship on knowledge about and self-efficacy for neonatal resuscitation among nurses and midwives in Rwanda.

In the first minute of life after birth, it is critical to effectively manage an infant's respiratory status. Given the critical nature of newborn airway management, it is vital that health professionals have the knowledge and confidence to engage in airway management procedures. Consequently, there has been a call for nurses and midwives to be prepared to skillfully enact neonatal resuscitation interventions when required, especially in low-resource environments, to help reduce neonatal death. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a mentorship program that involves an education component for neonatal resuscitation in the first minute after birth. The study examined changes to knowledge and self-efficacy of Rwandan nurses and midwives towards newborn airway care outcomes. A pre-/post-test, quasi-experimental study design was used to assess the changes in knowledge about and self-efficacy for neonatal resuscitation. Using a paired t-test, the results suggested that nurses' and midwives' knowledge and self-efficacy increased significantly, and participants' knowledge correlated positively to self-efficacy. Therefore, a mentorship program that supports professional development through education appears to be an effective strategy to enhance nurses' and midwives' knowledge about and self-efficacy for neonatal resuscitation and could eventually lead to neonatal practice improvements.

What matters, what is valued and what is important in mentorship through the Appreciative Inquiry process of co-created knowledge.

BACKGROUND: A key element in the provision of safe and competent midwifery care is how learning experiences are construed and translated into practice. This process can be supported through clinical/professional mentoring. What constitutes 'good mentorship' has been the topic of much debate. While research exploring mentorship exists, there is less research exploring co-created perceptions of mentorship by the mentee and mentor. OBJECTIVES: To explore student and registered midwives' co-created perspectives of what matters, what is valued and what is important in mentorship. DESIGN: An adapted Appreciative Inquiry methodology guided this study with thematic analysis used for data analysis. SETTINGS: One regional Australian university. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sampling, from a population of 39 third-year Bachelor of midwifery students and 39 registered midwives providing clinical supervision for students enrolled in a specific unit of study and concurrently undertaking midwifery practice experience were recruited into this study. METHODS: Following the four-step process of Appreciative Inquiry; Appreciate, Envision, Co-create and Embed, imagery cards were provided, and participants selected the image that resonated with their understanding of mentorship. Shared understandings were cultivated to co-create what worked well and what was valued in facilitating a positive learning experience. RESULTS: Trust developed over time is a valued component of mentorship relationships. Similarly valued is the sense of belonging and feeling safe, elements reliant on the establishment of effective and respectful communication. CONCLUSION: What matters, what is valued and what is important in midwifery mentorship is a mutually respectful relationship between mentee and mentor. This requires time and trust and the creation of a space where the student can develop a sense of professional belonging and feel safe to learn. Further research is needed to explore ways to co-create safe learning environments. Appreciative Inquiry is a method suited to studying this area.

"That's What the Program Is All about Building Relationships": Exploring Experiences in an Urban Offering of the Indigenous Youth Mentorship Program in Canada.

Peer mentorship is an effective approach for delivering health promotion programs that may be particularly useful among underrepresented populations. Advancing the peer-led approach, the Indigenous Youth Mentorship Program (IYMP) is a communal-led program rooted in Indigenous values aimed at the promotion of healthy lifestyles in children and youth. The program includes layers of multi-age mentoring (i.e., elementary students, high school student mentors, and young adult health leaders [YAHLs]) and incorporates three core components: physical activity, healthy eating, and cultural teachings. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore elementary student, mentor, and YAHL experiences in an urban IYMP offering. Eleven sharing circles were conducted; six with elementary students (n = 23; grade 4 and 5 students), two with mentors (n = 3; students enrolled in a grade 10 wellness girls class), and three with YAHLs (n = 6; undergraduate university students). Focus groups were also held with respective school teachers and principals. An inductive content analysis generated three themes that represent the perceived impacts of this urban IYMP offering: (1) Fostering Wellness, (2) Strengthening Meaningful Connections, and (3) Exploring Leadership. Findings are positioned within a communal mentorship framework that is circular and multi-directional. By bringing together Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, this program offering supports Indigenous cultural relevance in an urban-based wellness program.

Championing women working in health across regional and rural Australia - a new dual-mentorship model.

BACKGROUND: Mentoring is a critical component of career development and job satisfaction leading to a healthier workforce and more productive outputs. However, there are limited data on mentorship models in regional areas and in particular for women aspiring to leadership positions. Mentorship programs that leverage off experienced mentors from diverse disciplines have the potential to foster the transfer of knowledge and to positively influence job satisfaction and build capacity within the context of workforce shortage. METHODS: This study describes a dual-mentorship model of professional development for women working in health in regional and rural Australia. We present the framework and describe the evaluation findings from a 12-month pilot program. RESULTS: Both academic and corporate mentors provided diverse perspectives to the mentees during the 12-month period. On average, corporate mentors met with mentees more often, and focused these discussions on strategy and leadership skills whilst academic mentors provided more technical advice regarding academic growth. Mentees reported an improvement in workplace interconnectedness and confidence at the completion of the program. CONCLUSION: We developed a framework for establishing a professional mentorship program that matches women working in regional health with mentors from diverse sectors including business, government, philanthropy and health, to provide a holistic approach to improving career satisfaction, institutional productivity and supporting a diverse workforce in regional or resource-poor settings.