Enhancing Mentoring in Palliative Care: An Evidence Based Mentoring Framework

• Published in: Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development Vol. 7; p. 2382120520957649
• Main Authors: Krishna, Lalit Kumar Radha, Tan, Lorraine Hui En, Ong, Yun Ting, Tay, Kuang Teck, Hee, Jia Min, Chiam, Min, Chia, Elisha Wan Ying, Sheri, Krish, Tan, Xiu Hui, Teo, Yao Hao, Kow, Cheryl Shumin, Mason, Stephen, Toh, Ying Pin
• Format: Book Review Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01-01-2020; Sage Publications Ltd; SAGE Publishing
• Subjects: Ethics; Mentors; Palliative care; Review; palliative care education; postgraduate medicine; Palliative care; novice mentoring; mentoring; medicine; medical school
• ISSN: 2382-1205; 2382-1205
• DOI: 10.1177/2382120520957649

Background:
Growing concerns over ethical issues in mentoring in medicine and surgery have hindered efforts to reinitiate mentoring for Palliative Care (PC) physicians following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. Ranging from the misappropriation of mentee’s work to bullying, ethical issues in mentoring are attributed to poor understanding and structuring of mentoring programs, underlining the need for a consistent approach to mentoring practices.
Methods:
Given diverse practices across different settings and the employ of various methodologies, a novel approach to narrative reviews (NR)s is proposed to summarize, interpret, and critique prevailing data on novice mentoring. To overcome prevailing concerns surrounding the reproducibility and transparency of narrative reviews, the Systematic Evidenced Based Approach (SEBA) adopts a structured approach to searching and summarizing the included articles and employed concurrent content and thematic analysis that was overseen by a team of experts.
Results:
A total of 18 915 abstracts were reviewed, 62 full text articles evaluated and 41 articles included. Ten themes/categories were ascertained identified including Nature; Stakeholders; Relationship; Approach; Environment; Benefits; Barriers; Assessments; Theories and Definitions.
Conclusion:
By compiling and scrutinizing prevailing practice it is possible to appreciate the notion of the mentoring ecosystem which sees each mentee, mentor, and host organization brings with them their own microenvironment that contains their respective goals, abilities, and contextual considerations. Built around competency based mentoring stages, it is possible to advance a flexible yet consistent novice mentoring framework.