Mixed methods systematic review exploring mentorship outcomes in nursing academia

Interdisciplinary reflection by higher education academics using teaching squares: A scoping review

OBJECTIVE

To explore the use of teaching squares by interdisciplinary Higher Education (HE) academics when engaging in a cycle of teaching reflection.

DESIGN

A scoping review of published and unpublished research between 2012 and 2022.

DATA SOURCES

Systematic search of ten (10) electronic databases and hand searching of reference lists identified 13 studies for review.

REVIEW METHODS

Studies were included if reflection was undertaken on teaching and involved the disciplines of Nursing, Midwifery, Pharmacy, and Biomedical Sciences. The data were extracted and charted and presented using the Patterns, Advances, Gap, Evidence for practice and Research [PAGER] framework.

RESULTS

The main theme identified in the review was that teaching squares led to the development of improved pedagogical skills. This skills improvement was facilitated by the creation of positive academic relationships formed by undertaking interdisciplinary observation, reflection and other serendipitous events. HE academics gained positive benefits from this process, especially those newly transitioning into academia. Some examples of these benefits included increased awareness of one's own teaching practice, deeper understanding of the student experiences and the HE academic feeling less isolated and more reassured about their teaching. Undertaking interdisciplinary reflection led to the development of social capital, resulting in increased confidence. This was evident by the development of new professional relationships from increased networking opportunities external to the faculty in which the HE academic was located. The culture within each context served as either a barrier or facilitator to engaging in reflection. We also noted there were a variety of ways in which reflection was being undertaken, with new insights gained during COVID-19.

CONCLUSION

This scoping review explored the current published literature on reflection on teaching undertaken by HE academics within Nursing, Midwifery, Pharmacy and Biomedical Science disciplines. The key outcomes for the interdisciplinary stakeholders were increased levels of confidence, learning of new ways of teaching, and insight into the student experience by undertaking interdisciplinary reflection. From a faculty perspective this is meant there was an increase of social network development and provided higher levels of social capital, especially for those transitioning into academia. The pandemic led to an increased reliance on reflection of virtual reflection, which may become the norm. Further research is required to explore the experiences and perceptions of reflection for this cohort of HE teachers.

Approaches for boosting self-confidence of clinical nursing students: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Self-confidence is a key element in successfully promoting achievement strivings among the healthcare workforce. Targeted interventions can strengthen this characteristic in nursing students, thus improving the quality of hospital services.

Objectives

We evaluated the effect of educational interventions on boosting self-confidence in nursing students using systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods

A comprehensive search was used to screen the related studies in Scopus, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and PsycINFO. Peer-reviewed literature in English until June 2023 was reviewed. Inclusion criteria were controlled trials, either non-randomized studies of intervention (NRSI) or randomized (RCTs). Studies were assessed for methodological quality by the Cochrane Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) and the Cochrane "Risk of Bias" tool for RCTs (RoB 2.0) and quality assessment tool for before-after (pre-post) studies with no control group. The main outcome was the self-confidence score of nursing students because of educational methods or intervention/s. Using the inverse variance weights method, a pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) estimate with a corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) was determined. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to assess conceptual heterogeneity using Stata.

Results

Twenty-two studies were selected involving 1758 participants and 940 cases of nursing students in the intervention group on boosting self-confidence (Fourteen Randomized controlled trials, Five Quasi-experimental, and three Before-After studies). The post-intervention self-confidence results in the nursing student's intervention group were significantly greater (SMD) (SMD for Controlled experimental design = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.14-0.89), (SMD for Quasi-experimental = 0.04; 95% CI = -0.33-0.41), (SMD for Before-After (Pre-Post) = 2.74; 95% CI = 1.85-3.63). The random-effect meta-analysis of 22 interventional studies determined that educational interventions are significantly associated with the improving self-confidence of nursing students. The intervention showed a moderate impact on the research units, according to Cohen's d results. Also, the results of simulation learning intervention (SMD = 0.42; 95% CI = 0.03-0.81) showed a significant relationship between intervention and outcome in studies.

Conclusions

Analysis of our findings revealed the successful impact of most interventional approaches in boosting self-confidence, especially in the long term. It can be concluded that self-confidence is a multifactorial concept that can be improved by using targeted combination intervention strategies.

Career development of doctorally prepared nurses

AIM

To integrate research literature regarding careers, career development and factors influencing the career development of doctorally prepared nurses.

DESIGN

An integrative review.

DATA SOURCES

Medline, CINAHL and Embase were searched in June 2022 without time restrictions.

METHODS

Peer-reviewed empirical publications written in English with different types of study designs were included. Two researchers independently applied eligibility criteria, selected studies and conducted quality appraisals using Joanna Briggs checklists. Data were extracted and analysed using a convergent integrated approach with thematic analysis. Themes were established within three categories based on the research questions: career, career development and factors influencing career development.

RESULTS

Twenty-two studies were included. Nine themes were identified. One theme regarding careers describes that doctorally prepared nurses need to prioritize work within different positions. The two themes focusing on career development described the need to determine career goals after the doctorate and further develop competencies. Six themes described factors influencing career development: 'Intrinsic motivation to improve health care and nursing education', 'Available support sources', 'Professional development programmes', 'Work-life balance', 'Organizational infrastructures for career advancement' and 'Competition and hostile treatment among colleagues'.

CONCLUSION

Limited knowledge of the careers and career development of doctorally prepared nurses was found. Doctorally prepared nurses need to balance work with various part-time positions. Careers and career development could be supported by the development of structures for career advancement as well as supportive working environments.

IMPACT

Doctorally prepared nurses with strong careers are important to health care and nursing as they generate and implement new knowledge into clinical practice and thereby support the improvement of (nursing) care and patient outcomes. This study provides considerations towards strengthening the careers of doctorally prepared nurses.

REPORTING METHOD

PRISMA.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No Patient or Public Contribution.

Identifying the Professional Development Needs Among Early Career Doctorally Prepared Oncology Professionals

This study aimed to identify the professional development needs of early career doctorally prepared professionals in psychosocial oncology. We used a cross-sectional descriptive survey design to assess professionally related skills deemed most important to participants' academic excellence and promotion, skills they felt most and least confident to engage in, and those they were most interested to learn more about. Seventeen participants completed the survey and were, on average, 39.3 years of age (range 29-55 years) and had completed doctoral or post-doctoral training 3.1 years previously (range 0-5 years). Participants identified seeking external funding as not only the most important skill to achieve their academic excellence and promotion, but also as the skill they felt least confident to engage in. They felt most confident to engage in career planning and getting published and were most interested to learn more about how to negotiate a career/position. Participants also expressed interest in having access to a forum wherein they could collaborate with others and receive mentorship from expert oncology professionals with doctoral degrees. The findings from this study point to the need for professional development opportunities for oncology professionals before and after they complete their doctoral or post-doctoral training. Study participants' perspectives offer insights about topics that may be enhanced in doctoral and post-doctoral mentorship programs.

A Qualitative Investigation of Burnout and Well-being Among Faculty and Residents in a Canadian Psychiatry Department

OBJECTIVE

This study used semi-structured interviews with faculty and residents in psychiatry to inform a qualitative, process-based understanding of well-being and related concepts, as well as to identify and critically explore strategies for maintaining well-being in psychiatry.

METHODS

Using interpretive description as a qualitative research methodology, semi-structured phone interviews were conducted with 12 faculty (nine clinical and three non-clinical) and five residents in a Canadian psychiatry department between September and December 2019, prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and subsequently analyzed for themes by the research team.

RESULTS

Fourteen women and three men completed the study, consisting of nine faculty members, five psychiatry residents, and three non-clinical PhD scientists. Four themes were developed from the interview data: (1) The nature of working in academic psychiatry, (2) professional identity as a double-edged sword, (3) feelings of isolation and powerlessness in the system, and (4) strategies to support well-being.

CONCLUSION

In the absence of many qualitative perspectives on well-being in academic psychiatry, the findings of this study can be used as a first step to inform future interventions and meaningful institutional change around well-being in psychiatry. The findings may help to enable conversations about well-being that embrace humanity and vulnerability as essential components of professional identity in psychiatry and provide opportunities for open discussion and support.

Reflections on transitioning from senior nurses to novice nurse academics

The transition from practicing nurse to nurse academic can be stressful as novice nurse academics need to assume new roles and acquire new skills in addition to having demonstrated mastery over their field of clinical practice. In this reflection, the authors use Gibbs' reflective cycle to reflect on the experience of transition from being senior nurses to novice nurse academics in the Australian university context. A description of the experience of transition is outlined alongside the feelings encountered. The positive and negative aspects of the experience are then evaluated and an analysis of the experience put forward with a conclusion related to the overall experience. An action plan for future practice is offered, which we hope will be of interest to anyone contemplating such a journey or supporting others in this process. The complex and challenging journey ahead for novice nurse academics is outlined, which offers opportunities for growth and development.

Leadership of PhD-prepared nurses working in hospitals and its influence on career development: A qualitative study

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To explore leadership experiences and the influence of leadership on career development of PhD-prepared nurses working in hospitals.

BACKGROUND

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) represents the highest level of education for a career in research and scholarship. PhD-prepared nurses have an important role in advancing the nursing discipline by conducting and implementing research finding. Given the rapidly changing health care environment, there is a clear need for PhD-prepared nurses with strong leadership competences. Currently, there is a dearth of studies exploring leadership of PhD-prepared nurses working in hospitals.

DESIGN

A descriptive qualitative study.

METHOD

A purposive sample with PhD-prepared nurses employed at clinical departments was used. Twelve interviews were conducted with participants from seven hospitals. Perceptions towards leadership, leadership experiences, leadership barriers and the influence of leadership on career development were discussed. Interviews were thematically analysed. Reporting followed the COREQ guidelines.

RESULTS

Three themes addressing leadership experiences were found: (1) "Leadership is needed for career development" describes how participants took initiative and received support from colleagues and mentors; (2) "Practicing leadership behaviours" describes leadership behaviours and feelings associated with leadership and (3) "Leadership influenced by the hospital setting" describes the working environment including struggling nursing research cultures and infrastructures with limited positions, managerial support and opportunities for collaboration.

CONCLUSION

Although participants showed leadership to advance their careers, barriers related to working environment were found. Stakeholders should invest into opportunities to develop and utilise leadership competences and development of strong nursing research cultures and infrastructures with sustainable career frameworks and positions.

RELEVANCE FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE

There is a need for ongoing efforts to build strong leadership competences as well as nursing research cultures and infrastructures with career pathways and suitable positions for PhD-prepared nurses within hospitals to empower them to strengthen nursing.

Precision mentoring (PM): a proposed framework for increasing research capacity in health-related disciplines

PROBLEM

Research productivity is expected of academic faculty, and mentoring can facilitate it. This paper presents a framework for using mentoring to develop researchers in health disciplines.

APPROACH

We utilized recent literature reviews, and experience developing researchers at an emerging research institution within the Research Centers for Minority Institutions (RCMI) program, to propose a precision mentoring (PM) framework for research development.

OUTCOMES

Although we cannot precisely determine how much improvement was due to the PM framework, over the 4 years of our program, the quality and quantity of pilot project proposals (PPP) has increased, the number of external proposals submitted and funded by PPP investigators has increased, and the number of faculty participating in our program has increased. Surveys distributed to our 2021-22 PPP applicants who did not receive funding (n = 5/6 or 86.7%) revealed that new investigators most frequently sought mentoring related to career guidance (e.g., institutional culture, pre-tenure survival strategies), grant proposal basics (e.g., working with funding agencies, reviewing aims, balancing priorities, and enhancing scientific rigor), and identifying funding opportunities.

NEXT STEPS

We recommend shifting the mentoring paradigm such that: (a) mentees are pre-screened and re-screened for their current skill set and desired areas of growth; (b) mentoring occurs in teams vs. by individuals; (c) mentors are trained and rewarded, and (d) attention is paid to enhancing institutional culture.

Implementation of clinical pharmacy services using problematization with Maguerez Arc: A quasi-experimental before-after study

RATIONALE, AIMS, AND OBJECTIVES

The growth of clinical pharmacy services (CPS) has positively impacted clinical, economic, and humanistic health outcomes. However, detailed studies on the process of implementing CPS in healthcare systems are incipient. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the CPS implementation in certain public health units in a metropolis in northeast Brazil.

METHODS

A quasi-experimental before-and-after study was carried out in Recife City, from July 2015 to March 2016. The study was carried out using the Methodology of Problematization with Maguerez Arc and was divided into: initial evaluation (before), planning, interventions, and preliminary evaluation (after). The participants were pharmacists, patients, health professionals, and local health managers. Descriptive statistics were used to report data. The statistical significance of the comparison between variables was evaluated using the Wilcoxon test (95% CI; P ≤ .05).

RESULTS

Initial evaluation: Identified incipient CPS, a lack of structure and work process of pharmacists. Planning: Sixteen brainstorming meetings were held with the different actors resulting in a strategic plan.

INTERVENTION

Twenty-two political-administrative meetings were held with managers and health teams and 768 hours of theoretical and practical training with mentoring for pharmacists. Preliminary evaluation: Structure indicators presented a statistically significant difference, differently from the process indicators. Pharmacists attended 842 patients and performed 1465 pharmaceutical consultations in 6 months. Regarding the outcome indicators, it was possible to identify changes in the clinical status of the most prevalent diseases among those patients who attended three pharmaceutical consultations.

CONCLUSIONS

It was possible to evaluate the CPS implementation in certain public health units in a metropolis in Brazil, through the Methodology of Problematization with Maguerez Arc. This methodology may be part of models for future implementations of CPS in health systems.

Relational and caring partnerships: (re)creating equity, genuineness, and growth in mentoring faculty relationships

Mentoring in academia has traditionally and currently been prescriptive and institutionally driven. The purpose of this paper is to deconstruct these current mentoring practices with a critical feminist stance. New understandings are shared and gained through dialogue, relevant literature, and performativity to (re)create and name a caring and relational partnership. This caring and relational partnership is grown through a process of mutuality and reciprocity, and based on relational ethics, authenticity, and solidarity. By embracing ideologies of caring and relational ethics, mentoring blurs the lines of mentor/mentee to a perpetual state of walking beside each other in equity to learn and strengthen each other's insights into our worlds. Material realities become illuminated through our shared journeys growing an appreciation and gift of the other. In turn, engaging in meaningful dialogue informs scholarship increasing our understandings of the human condition.

Mentoring as an intervention to promote gender equality in academic medicine: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Mentoring is frequently suggested as an intervention to address gender inequalities in the workplace.

OBJECTIVES

To systematically review evidence published since a definitive review in 2006 on the effectiveness of mentoring interventions aimed at achieving gender equality in academic medicine.

DESIGN

Systematic Review, using the Template for Intervention Description and Replication as a template for data extraction and synthesis.

SAMPLE

Studies were included if they described a specific mentoring intervention in a medical school or analogous academic healthcare organisation and included results from an evaluation of the intervention.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Mentoring was defined as (1) a formally organised intervention entailing a supportive relationship between a mentor, defined as a more senior/experienced person and a mentee defined as a more junior/inexperienced person; (2) mentoring intervention involved academic career support (3) the mentoring relationship was outside line management or supervision of performance and was defined by contact over an extended period of time.

OUTCOMES

The impact of mentoring was usually reported at the level of individual participants, for example, satisfaction and well-being or self-reported career progression. We sought evidence of impact on gender equality via reports of organisation-level effectiveness, of promotion or retention, pay and academic performance of female staff.

RESULTS

We identified 32 publications: 8 review articles, 20 primary observational studies and 4 randomised controlled trials. A further 19 discussed mentoring in relation to gender but did not meet our eligibility criteria. The terminology used, and the structures and processes reported as constituting mentoring, varied greatly. We identified that mentoring is popular with many who receive it; however, we found no robust evidence of effectiveness in reducing gender inequalities. Primary research used weak evaluation designs.

CONCLUSIONS

Mentoring is a complex intervention. Future evaluations should adopt standardised approaches used in applied health research to the design and evaluation of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.

Mentoring New and Early-Stage Investigators and Underrepresented Minority Faculty for Research Success in Health-Related Fields: An Integrative Literature Review (2010-2020)

Mentoring to develop research skills is an important strategy for facilitating faculty success. The purpose of this study was to conduct an integrative literature review to examine the barriers and facilitators to mentoring in health-related research, particularly for three categories: new investigators (NI), early-stage investigators (ESI) and underrepresented minority faculty (UMF). PsychINFO, CINAHL and PubMed were searched for papers published in English from 2010 to 2020, and 46 papers were reviewed. Most papers recommended having multiple mentors and many recommended assessing baseline research skills. Barriers and facilitators were both individual and institutional. Individual barriers mentioned most frequently were a lack of time and finding work-life balance. UMF mentioned barriers related to bias, discrimination and isolation. Institutional barriers included lack of mentors, lack of access to resources, and heavy teaching and service loads. UMF experienced institutional barriers such as devaluation of experience or expertise. Individual facilitators were subdivided and included writing and synthesis as technical skills, networking and collaborating as interpersonal skills, and accountability, leadership, time management, and resilience/grit as personal skills. Institutional facilitators included access to mentoring, professional development opportunities, and workload assigned to research. Advocacy for diversity and cultural humility were included as unique interpersonal and institutional facilitators for UMF. Several overlapping and unique barriers and facilitators to mentoring for research success for NI, ESI and UMF in the health-related disciplines are presented.

Peer mentoring in medical residency education: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Medical residents may experience burnout during their training, and a lack of social support. This can impact their overall wellbeing and ability to master key professional competencies. We explored, in this study, the extent to which peer mentorship promotes psychosocial wellbeing and the development of professional competencies in medical residency education.

METHODS

We searched six databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Academic Research Complete, ERIC, Education Research Complete) for studies on peer mentoring relationships in medical residency. We selected any study where authors reported on outcomes associated with peer mentoring relationships among medical residents. We applied no date, language, or study design limits to this review.

RESULTS

We included nine studies in this systematic review. We found that medical residents received essential psychosocial supports from peers, and motivation to develop academic and career competencies. Medical residents in peer-mentoring relationships also reported increased overall satisfaction with their residency training programs.

CONCLUSIONS

Peer-mentoring relationships can enhance the development of key professional competencies and coping mechanisms in medical residency education. Further rigorous research is needed to examine the comparative benefits of informal and formal peer mentoring, and identify best practices with respect to effective design of peer-mentorship programs.

Access to healthcare system of indigenous communities with musculoskeletal disorders and rheumatic disease in Chaco, Argentina: a qualitative study

Introduction/objectives

The objective of this study is to describe the local healthcare system from the perspective of the health professionals, community health workers, and local representatives of the qom community living in the province of Chaco, Argentina.

Methods

A qualitative study, with an ethnographic approach, was carried out using two techniques: non-participant observations and semi-structured interviews. A guide for the interviews was designed and developed by a multidisciplinary group of GLADERPO researchers. The main aspects included were the following: reference into the local healthcare system and accessibility to the system. Andersen’s base conceptual model of health service utilization was applied for the analysis and for structuring the results.

Results

A total of 21 people were interviewed, twelve women and nine men with an age ranging between 25 and 60 years old. The main findings were different barriers (communication and cultural) between the community and the healthcare system; “navigation” within the health system carried out by the qom community; and migration and bureaucratization of the health system.

Conclusions

These findings should be incorporated into educational strategies to improve access to healthcare system and adherence to medical treatment, establishing an interaction between the different levels of the local care system and providing community health workers with an appropriate training with the support of the community representatives.

Key Points • The different barriers between the community and the healthcare system were described. • The “navigation” within the health system carried out by the qom community and the migration were relevant points. • The bureaucratization of the health system and the need to design and implement educational strategies in the future were highlighted.

Exploring Mentorship as a Strategy to Build Capacity and Optimize the Embedded Scientist Workforce

Background:

Mentorship plays a significant role in career development in academic and applied settings, but little is documented about its role in the experiential learning of academic trainees embedded in health system organizations. The experiences of the first cohort of Canada's Health System Impact (HSI) Fellowship program can provide insights into how mentorship in this innovative type of training can work.

Objectives:

To understand the mentorship strategies that were used and to explore fellows' and supervisors' perspectives and experiences on the effectiveness and value of those strategies.

Methods:

Data from the surveys of fellows and their supervisors and a panel rooted in the lived experience of the first HSI Fellowship cohort were used.

Results:

Health system and academic supervisors developed a range of innovative, individualized and effective approaches for guiding their fellows, such as providing the fellow with a committee of mentors within the organization, holding regular meetings with the fellow and both the health system and the academic supervisor and leveraging their own network to expand the network and resources available to the fellow.

Conclusion:

The results suggest that engaging senior leadership in health system settings has provided positive experiences for both fellows and their mentors.

Benefits, barriers and enablers of mentoring female health academics: An integrative review

This integrative literature review synthesizes the primary research evidence on mentoring female health academics published from 2000 to 2018, to identify the benefits, enablers and barriers to mentoring women. The need for this review is underpinned by the magnitude of change in higher education, the high number of women in health disciplines, limited progress in advancing women's academic careers, escalating role expectations, faculty shortages and staff turnover. Data were sourced from Scopus, PubMed, EMBASE and Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature. Twenty-seven studies were included. Although effective mentoring facilitates personal and career development, academic craftsmanship, psychosocial support and job satisfaction, it is complicated by organizational factors and personal and relational dynamics. Enablers of mentoring are mentor availability and expertise, supportive relationships, mutuality and responsiveness. Lack of, or inadequate mentoring compromise women's job satisfaction, career development and academic productivity. Providing female health academics access to experienced, well-connected mentors with common interests who are committed to advancing their career, is an investment in optimizing potential, promoting supportive work environments and increasing productivity and retention. Realizing the institutional potential that mentoring female health academics offers, is contingent on academic leaders valuing mentorship as faculty business and understanding the role that the contemporary academic environment plays in achieving mentoring outcomes. Further empirical and longitudinal research is needed to evaluate effective approaches for mentoring women in the contemporary academic environment.

Mentorship in Orthopedics: A National Survey of Orthopedic Surgery Residents

OBJECTIVE

Mentorship is an important component of graduate medical education. It has been associated with numerous benefits including personal development, increased career satisfaction, and reduced stress and burnout. The purpose of this study was to assess orthopedic resident attitudes regarding mentorship and to determine if there were sociodemographic differences.

DESIGN

A total of 243 orthopedic surgery residents completed this 25-item mixed response questionnaire.

RESULTS

Nearly two-thirds of residents conveyed that their training program either had a formal or informal mentorship program, and 95.8% of residents indicated that they believed mentorship played an important role with respect to their development as an orthopedic resident. Minorities were more likely to have a mentor that was obtained while they were in medical school, less likely to have multiple mentors, and more likely to be dissatisfied with the quality of mentorship in residency. Females were more likely to pursue a mentor on their own. Overall, 31% of orthopedic residents were classified as experiencing burnout. There was no difference in the prevalence of mentorship in respondents experiencing burnout, but they were more likely to be unsatisfied with the quality of mentorship in residency. Finally, only two-thirds of residency programs have mentorship programs despite the fact that the vast majority of orthopedic residents believe that the mentorship plays an important role in their development as surgeons.

RESULTS

Given these findings, future work should focus on identifying and addressing race and sex-based mentorship disparities while simultaneously working to improve access to mentorship for all residents.

Exploring and Improving Student Engagement in an Accelerated Undergraduate Nursing Program through a Mentoring Partnership: An Action Research Study

This Participatory Action Research (PAR) project aimed to engage students from an accelerated 'fast track' nursing program in a mentoring collaboration, using an interdisciplinary partnership intervention with a group of academics. Student participants represented the disciplines of nursing and paramedicine with a high proportion of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) students. Nine student mentors were recruited and paired with academics for a three-month 'mentorship partnership' intervention. Data from two pre-intervention workshops and a post-intervention workshop were coded in NVivo11 using thematic analysis. Drawing on social inclusion theory, a qualitative analysis explored an iteration of themes across each action cycle. Emergent themes were: 1) 'building relationships for active engagement', 2) 'voicing cultural and social hierarchies', and 3) 'enacting collegiate community'. The study offers insights into issues for contemporary accelerated course delivery with a diverse student population and highlights future strategies to foster effective student engagement.

Psychosocial and career outcomes of peer mentorship in medical resident education: a systematic review protocol

BACKGROUND

Many medical residents lack ready access to social and emotional supports that enable them to successfully cope with the challenges associated with medical residency. This absence of support has been shown to lead to high levels of burnout, decreased mental wellbeing, and difficulty mastering professional competencies in this population. While there is emerging evidence that peer mentoring can be an important source of psychosocial and career-related support for many individuals, the extent of the evidence regarding the benefits of peer mentorship in medical residency education has not yet been established. We describe a protocol for a systematic review to assess the effects of peer mentoring on medical residents' mental wellbeing, social connectedness, and professional competencies.

METHODS

Studies included in this review will be those that report on peer-mentoring relationships among medical residents. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies will be eligible for inclusion. No date or language limits will be applied. We will search EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsychINFO, Web of Science, Scopus, ERIC, Education Research Complete, and Academic Research Complete databases to identify relevant studies. Two authors will independently assess all abstracts and full-text studies for inclusion and study quality and extract study data in duplicate.

DISCUSSION

This is the first systematic review to explicitly explore the role of peer mentoring in the context of medical residency education. We anticipate that the findings from this review will raise awareness of the benefits and challenges associated with peer-mentoring relationships, further the development and implementation of formal peer-mentoring programs for medical residents, and, through identifying gaps in the existing literature, inform future research efforts.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

This protocol has not been registered in PROSPERO or any other publicly accessible registry.