Date Presented 03/22/24
The mentorship and its instructional content supported clinicians in developing and validating comprehension of the content, in their professional development and assisted them in navigating opportunities and challenges in clinical practice.
Primary Author and Speaker: Bryan M. Gee
Additional Authors and Speakers: Sarah A. Schoen, Natalie King, Mim Ochsenbein
BACKGROUND: Occupational therapy entry-level education is filled with opportunities for experiential learning. However, post-professionally, few opportunities exist for participation in structured mentored experiences. Mentoring in healthcare professions is not new; it has resurged over the past 15 years (Doyle et al., 2019), documenting the nature of mentorship for practicing clinicians, the design of programs to promote advancement, and the effectiveness of these programs. More research is needed to explore mentorship’s impact in occupational therapy. Level I Mentorship by the STAR Institute utilizes a small group format and involves a combination of live/online instruction, discussion, and reflection based on on-site clinical learning experiences (Schoen et al., 2021). This qualitative study aims to present findings from focus groups designed to understand participants’ perceptions of STAR Institutes’ Level I Mentorship and its impact on their clinical practice.
DESIGN: This qualitative study explored data from eight participants who took part in a focus group.
FINDINGS: Through qualitative data analysis using ATLAS.ti Web (Version 3.15.0), four raters, and strategies to ensure trustworthiness, several categories/themes emerged from the transcripts. Themes include clinical intervention, professional growth, learning/competency, academic goals, management of challenges, and positivity/collaboration.
CONCLUSION: This mentorship and its instructional content supported clinicians 1) in developing and validating comprehension of the content, 2) in their professional development, and 3) assisted them in navigating opportunities and challenges in clinical practice.
IMPACT STATEMENT: Regardless of the content, small group mentorship/professional development may be an essential addition to current professional development/continuing education practices in occupational therapy.
References
ATLAS.ti Scientific Software Development GmbH [ATLAS.ti Web, v3.15.0]. (2022). Retrieved from https://atlasti.com
Doyle, N, Gafni Lachter, L., & K. Jacobs, K. (2019). Scoping review of mentoring research in the occupational therapy literature, 2002–2018. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 66(5), 541–551. https://doi.org/10.1111/1440-1630.12579
Pitney, W. A., & Parker, J. (2019). Qualitative research in the health professions. Slack Incorporated. https://doi.org/10.1080/07380577.2022.2095475
Schoen, S. A., Gee, B. M., & Ochsenbein, M. (2021). Preparing advanced clinicians and practitioners: a model for mentorship in occupational therapy practice. Occupational Therapy International, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/3394478
