Do The Research Training Interests And Needs Of Medical Students Vary Internationally? A Global Study

Introduction: This study aims to understand the current landscape of global medical student knowledge, resources, and barriers pertaining to research compared with clinical experience. Method(s): A survey was created by a diverse focus group to ascertain medical student perceptions of clinical and research experience. The survey was distributed to medical students through social media networks via international partnerships from Nov 1st - Dec 31st 2020. The analysis included statistical characteristics and a comparison between regions. Result(s): A total of 357 medical students from 26 countries completed the survey. Respondents were majority female (60.8%) from Latin America (58.9%), North America (25.8%), and Sub-Saharan Africa or other regions (18.2%). 10.9% of students had an additional graduate-level degree. The majority of students were interested in conducting research as medical students (87.1%) and as future physicians (58%). Overwhelmingly, students felt that research was an important component of medical training (88.5%). The majority of students were not required to participate in research to graduate from training (59%) and had not participated in the research (53%). There were several reported barriers to research, including lack of research opportunities (68.7%), lack of mentors (56.6%), lack of formal training (56.3%), and barriers due to the COVID-19 (49.9%). Conclusion(s): Despite significant interest in research, medical students globally report a lack of formal research training, opportunities, and several barriers to conducting research, including the COVID-19 pandemic. This survey demonstrates a need for student research training internationally, as well as highlights a possible role for further evaluation of research training needs.

The Unforgotten Pre-service Teachers [Participants]: Did the Pandemic Affect Learning While on Practicum? What Uncompleted Pre-service Teachers' Mentoring Experiences [Data] Can Tell Us

In education, practical, experiential, or experimental research is usually based on a number of participants from whom we collect data. We contact them and explain their role in the study and ask them to kindly devote their time to us. Our final dataset (data "useful for our research”) is a portion of our data corpus (all data collected). The story we finally print is the one from the dataset purposefully selected from the data corpus. The myriad of reasons given for not including some of our participants' data in the dataset include the following: participants' lack of enthusiasm, punctuality, timely delivery of audio recorded data, or data quality. The pandemic outbreak impacted my participants' lives, workplaces, and studies. Their practicum experience was impacted too, so some of them could not complete their own teaching rounds. As a consequence, they could not provide enough data to analyse in order to answer my research questions. They tried, but it was not possible for some of them. However, all the data collected, my data corpus, is valuable to me as a teacher educator and as a mentor teacher. This is a twofold story: my participants' troubles and commitment during their practicum, and my own troubles collecting data while not neglecting what my unselected participants did for me. The pandemic's devastating effects in teacher education programmes in Chile is affecting pre-service teachers' practicum experience, their relationship with their students and their relationship with their mentor teachers, both university-based tutors and school-based mentors. Knowing the needs and experiences of pre-service teachers who did not get a completed experience in their allocated university-partner schools may help us to better navigate the practicum experience in the present times. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.

"We Are Teaching and Learning with Each Other": Improving mentoring in higher education through ongoing training

This article examined ongoing mentoring training. This qualitative study analyzed interview responses from 20 mentors from 13 international locations in a global higher education initiative to determine how ongoing training affects mentors' abilities to assist higher education students in achieving their educational goals. The study results showed the benefits from ongoing mentoring training, including mentors better understanding their roles and responsibilities, mentors gaining knowledge, and mentors receiving ongoing support. Results also showed the importance in ongoing mentoring training of volunteer mentoring needs and mentoring training creativity. Furthermore, the study showed that ongoing training positively impacted mentors, that it identified contributing mentor volunteers, and that ongoing training advanced effective mentoring practices. The study also contributed findings to the literature including that mentors themselves contributed to best training practices, volunteer mentors may need more mentoring training, and ongoing mentoring training showed global transferability. As institutions of higher education take greater initiative and demonstrate innovation in providing structured ongoing training for mentors, mentors can be more knowledgeable and confident in their mentoring skills and students will have increased opportunities for success. Implications for practice or policy: COVID-19 highlighted the need for effective mentoring in higher education. There is potential for transferability of mentoring training practices in global organizations by higher education leaders. The study recommended identifying opportunities for developing creative and improved best practices in mentoring, such as mentorto- mentor training sessions and just-in-time WhatsApp training. Volunteer mentors may have unique needs to consider in mentoring programs. Best practices will also include strengthening mentor confidence, understanding roles and responsibilities, and providing answers to mentor questions. © 2023 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

Training Experience and Outcomes of the First Cohort of the ASGE Diagnostic EUS Training Program

Introduction: Despite the expanding role and need for endoscopic ultrasound, training opportunities for established endoscopists in the USA are limited. ASGE launched a novel competency-based program to address this training need in 2019. It includes an online learning modules, live webinars, a hands-on weekend course, a summative knowledge exam, followed by a customizable preceptorship with an EUS expert. Aim(s): To describe the training experience of a sample from the first cohort of the ASGE Diagnostic EUS training program. Method(s): A total of 26 applicants were chosen for the first cohort of the training program in 2019. We describe the experience of 3 endoscopists (ST at the Swedish Digestive Health Institute, Seattle, WA;BM at the Borland Groover Clinic, Jacksonville, FL and JH at Guthrie, Sayre, PA) who completed their hands-on training. Their case volumes were 160 (4 mentors), 185 (2 mentors) and 185 (3 mentors) respectively over a total of 12 weeks each. While 1 trainee (JH) was able to get trained at the same institute where he was employed, the other 2 (ST, JH) had to seek training in another state due to lack of preceptorship sites within their states of employment. One center tracked TEESAT scores (The EUS and ERCP Skills Assessment Tool) for every 5 procedures for their trainee (ST), and he was noted achieved a global score of 4 by the 150 th procedure. Result(s): All 3 trainees have been credentialed for EUS privileges at their respective institutes, and are performing EUS independently. Conclusion(s): The ASGE EUS diagnostic training program was able to fulfil the training needs of motivated established clinicians in full time practice. The main challenges encountered were identifying willing institutes and expert EUS preceptors, and institutional administrative barriers. COVID restrictions were a unique hurdle to the timely completion of preceptorship. This program's success in the future depends on buy in from EUS experts in the community and their respective institutions.

Fostering the Next Generation of Healthcare Leaders in a Pandemic World

Purpose of Study: Since the COVID pandemic began, there have been a dearth of opportunities for pre-medical students to work with practicing physicians. This is even truer in health care shortage areas such as California's impoverished San Joaquin Valley where the majority of its residents live below the poverty line and face a number of socioeconomic and educational hardships. Inequitable educational opportunities, lack of STEM identity, as well as lack of access to local mentors contribute to underrepresentation of individuals with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds in STEM professions, including medicine. In partnership with the UCSF Fresno Department of Pediatrics we created a summer virtual Medical Education Apprentice Fellowship to help address some of these issues. Methods Used: This seven-week summer program was directed towards disadvantaged high school and undergraduate students living in the San Joaquin Valley. Four pediatric subspecialists, 4 medical students, 64 undergraduate students, and 4 high school students participated in the program. Participants were divided into specialty teams based on their interests, with each team (burn surgery, endocrinology, gastroenterology, or pulmonology) led by a medical student and faculty. Overall, this program had three primary components: (1) creating animated medical education videos for use in clinics, (2) hosting patient case study series, and (3) providing mentorship and professional development. Summary of Results: Forty-seven percent of students reported being the first in their family to pursue a STEM-related field. Prior to entering this program, only 50% of students felt strongly confident in their ability to be successful in a STEM-related field, and only 30% had a mentor that they fully trusted for guidance and resources. After completing the seven week program, 93% of students reported that they felt the program allowed them to explore medicine in innovative ways, 88% reported that they had made fruitful connections and now have a mentor and resources to guide them, and nearly 75% of students indicated a desire to address the social and health needs of the San Joaquin Valley as a healthcare professional. Conclusion(s): Our Medical Education Apprentice Fellowship provided disadvantaged students in the San Joaquin Valley with an opportunity to improve their digital literacy skills and medical knowledge while receiving mentorship from medical students and physicians. Grassroots programs such as this that form collaborative partnerships between students and health care professionals can be used to foster future healthcare leaders in order to address the health provider shortage in the San Joaquin Valley while providing underrepresented youth the chance to become healthcare champions.

Certificate of Excellence Completion Rate of the Cc-Erus Fellowship and Reasons for Non-Completion

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The Certified Curriculum of ERUS (CC-ERUS) fellowship on robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is almost 10 years old. To complete the CCERUS outcome-based fellowship, a video of a full RARP performed by the fellow must be assessed by an expert. The aim of the current study was to 1) understand and report the completion rate of the fellowship (i.e. achievement of the Certificate of Excellence award) and 2) identify reasons for non-completion. METHOD(S): The CC-ERUS is a 6 months structured training program that includes an eLearning part, followed by one-week robotic skills course;then, trainees have 6 months of modular training at a host center. At the end of the fellowship, trainees are requested to submit a video of a full RARP performed by themselves. The video is objectively assessed by experts and, in case of positive assessment, the fellowship is completed and the fellow can receive the Certificate of Excellence. We analysed our prospectively collected data on all CC-ERUS fellows. We then conducted a telephone survey on 2018-2021 CC-ERUS fellows to investigate the reasons for noncompletion. Standardized interview format questions were used to conduct the survey. RESULT(S): Data on 87 subjects enrolled in the fellowship between were collated. While all subjects successfully completed the 1-wk robotic skills course, only 26 (30%) fellows achieved the certificate of excellence. The completion rate by year was 20% in 2018, 29% in 2019, 36.4% in 2020, and 31.4% in 2021. Therefore, the COVID-19 pandemic had only a modest impact on completion rate. The response rate to the telephone interview survey was 77%. The following reasons for non-completion emerged: insufficient console exposure (49%), insufficient fellowship duration (20%), COVID-19 pandemic (11%), logistic difficulties in submitting the video (20%). CONCLUSION(S): The CC-ERUS for RARP was the first validated robotic curriculum in the world, and still one of the very few outcome-based fellowships. Nonetheless, we observed a low completion rate that needs to be addressed with appropriate actions. To increase the fellowship completion rate, three solutions should be considered by the ERUS board: 1. Review of the Host Centers, to exclude those which do not meet the certification criteria (e.g. insufficient console time for fellows) 2. Periodical Train-The-Trainers courses for the mentors at host centers 3. Follow-up procedural diary: the fellows will be requested to submit videos of each phase while progressing in their modular training and self-assess their performance using validated RARP metrics.

The Perceived Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Medical Students' Future Careers

Purpose of study The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted medical education on multiple levels, and medical students have been forced to adjust to distance learning, altered clinical opportunities, and standardized testing inconsistencies. We sought to identify the effects of these dramatic deviations on medical students' career plans. Methods used We conducted a cross-sectional online survey of Johns Hopkins medical students between 7/13/2020 and 9/9/ 2020 in order to assess the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on students' career decisions. The survey items were developed to cover topics ranging from physical and emotional well-being during the pandemic, as well as perceptions of the effects on career development. Respondents rated statements according to a 5-point Likert scale, with a score of 1 representing 'strongly disagree', 2 'somewhat disagree', 3 'neutral', 4 'somewhat agree', and 5 'strongly agree'. Descriptive statistics were calculated for all variables. Summary of results Of the 585 eligible medical students, we had a final sample of 76 responses (13% response rate). Twenty-five (25/71, 35%) of those who responded had friends or family members who had been diagnosed with COVID-19. Students felt neutral regarding having more time to explore research projects (Mean +/- SD;3.06 +/- 1.18) and hobbies (3.43 +/- 1.28), as well as more time to spend with friends or family members (3.34 +/- 1.37). Most survey respondents somewhat disagreed that they considered quitting medical school during the pandemic (1.55 +/- 1.10). Students somewhat agreed that they view the field of medicine more positively since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (3.60 +/- 1.09). Respondents somewhat agreed that they would be unable to explore other specialties and find their best fit (3.55 +/- 1.32), but they felt neutral regarding level of competitiveness for their desired field (2.71 +/- 1.08). We found that the minority (4/66, 6%) of students had considered changing their specialty. Students felt neutral in terms of their Step 1 (3.25 +/- 1.05) or Step 2 (2.81 +/- 1.02) score deterring them from future career opportunities. Conclusions The majority of medical students have experienced barriers in their career pathway as a direct cause of COVID-19 restrictions on medical education, including the ability to explore different specialties to discover their best fit or find a chance to network with mentors. However, despite these obstacles, most students remain committed to medicine.

How to build a financial sustainability self-assessment at a small teaching college: an action research project

The purpose of this research was to inform best practices for creating institutional self-assessments for measuring financial sustainability. The project took place at a small tuition-dependent college that will be referred to as ABC College. Participants and data collected in Cycle 1 of this action research project consisted of a series of seven interviews with administrators at ABC. The purpose of the interviews was to learn more about the Pals Program, an initiative aimed at increasing student retention from freshman to sophomore year where staff volunteered to mentor (as "Pals") to groups of students. All interviewees were either administrators of the program or volunteer mentors in the program. The findings from the first cycle of research informed the action step: to create a meaningful and recurring financial sustainability assessment for the Pals Program for the VP for Enrollment and Dean of Students, the two key collaborators who were charged with overseeing the program. The action steps consisted of examining existing data needed for the assessment, creating a volunteer workbook to track and collect more data, drafting an assessment including institutional data with publicly available data sets, and finally evaluating the assessment with ABC collaborators and external stakeholders. These action steps were designed, implemented, and evaluated in Cycle 2 in order to have a dashboard of information that displayed overall programmatic progress towards the goal of retaining students as well as framing the program into the broader financial context of the organization. Findings suggested that colleges can create financial sustainability assessments by examining the context of the assessment to define its scope, by allocating resources to the assessment, and by fostering an organizational culture supportive of change and tolerant of risk. Recommendations to ABC include a call to reestablish their pre-covid culture of experimentation and enthusiasm for growth, as well as to consider data infrastructure enhancements and investments to be able to better measure the full student experience. The findings of this research might be of use to college or university finance and enrollment leaders. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Teachers' perceptions about the delivery and methodology of a blended learning mentor training course: a case from Chile

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe the perceptions of participants regarding a blended learning training course in Chile (and its e-learning adaptation due to the COVID-19 pandemic) for mentor teachers (MTs). The MT learns theoretical elements of mentoring and in parallel accompanies a newly qualified teacher while receiving support from an online tutor. Opinions are presented from MTs and accompanied teachers (ATs) about the contribution, format and methodology of the course. Design/methodology/approach: A program evaluation with mixed methodology was used. Online questionnaires were sent to MTs and ATs at the end of the course. Returned questionnaires totaled 98 MTs and 20 ATs for the blended learning version and 75 MTs and 54 ATs for the e-learning format. In addition, 11 post-course interviews were conducted in three schools with MTs, ATs and their school leaders. Findings: The course contributed to the development of mentoring skills. Participants highlighted the importance of the face-to-face component of both versions. The theoretical–practical methodology used was positively evaluated. Support and feedback provided to MTs by the online tutor was important for developing skills. Research limitations/implications: Results are part of a case (n = 247), so general statements cannot be made about the population. Practical implications: While this program evaluation focuses on a specific context, the results can contribute to the design of effective MT online training courses in other contexts and countries, given the limited body of research on this type of experience. Originality/value: The course provided is described in detail, which may be useful when designing similar mentor education courses in other contexts. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Improving elementary students social-emotional health through an after-school mentorship physical activity program

Children's poor social-emotional functioning has been an increasing concern prior to and amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Childhood and adolescence are critical stages of life where they acquire key cognitive and social-emotional skills that shape their future mental health. When a student's social-emotional health suffers, so do their relationships, academics, and physical health. The theory of improvement hypothesized that students' social-emotional health can be improved via fostering trusting relationships, boosting self-esteem, and promoting healthy role models and positive adult-child relationships. To address the problem of practice, the primary investigator implemented a social-emotional learning (SEL)-infused, 8-week physical activity after-school program with a strong mentor/role model component. The following inquiry questions guided this dissertation in practice project: 1) How does students' social-emotional health change after participating the after-school social-emotional learning-infused physical activity program? And 2) What are faculty, staff, and parent perceptions of the impact of a social-emotional learninginfused physical activity program on third grade students? Measures included time sample observations during the program of n=7 at-risk students with behavioral or emotional challenges, field notes compiled by the primary investigator throughout the program, and focus groups with key stakeholders (i.e., n=8 teachers, n=8 parents, and n=12 mentors) conducted post-program. The patterns in changes of student behavior over time were reported as case-study narratives for each observed student. Focus group transcripts and field notes were coded using content analysis v method and analyzed for key categories and themes. Overall, students' time sample data showed positive improvements in social-emotional health as well as on-task behavior. Three themes were identified in the qualitative data, including: 1) Growing and thriving together: benefits of the afterschool program 2) Trial and error: reflecting on what went well and didn't go well in the program and 3) Onward and upward: Fine tuning the program for the future. This program demonstrated initial success for improvements in 3rd grade children's social-emotional health. Implications for practice include improved training for all stakeholders in social-emotional learning, inclusion of mentorship, and additional administrative buy-in, including logistical support and funding. Future research can investigate the effect on mentor and student overall mental health and academic achievement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Supporting student and faculty wellbeing in graduate education: Teaching, learning, policy, and praxis

Promoting and sustaining wellbeing have gained prominence in a globalizing world, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Higher-education institutions are increasingly expected to consider and support the wellbeing of their students, staff, and faculty. Within higher education, new understandings are emerging about the intricacies and intersectionalities of psychological, social, and cultural factors that impact wellbeing of diverse individuals, including Indigenous, international, refugee, immigrant, and other marginalized groups. There is growing recognition that learning and working within academia are stressful experiences for faculty and graduate students. The need to understand wellbeing in general and wellbeing in graduate education, in particular, is also evident in the reports and studies that indicate an emerging crisis of wellbeing among graduate students and faculty. This book recognizes new pressures impacting graduate students and their supervisors, teachers, and mentors globally. It provides a range of insights and strategies which reflect on wellbeing as an integral part of teaching, learning, policy, and student-mentor relationships. The book offers a uniquely holistic approach to supporting the wellbeing of both students and academic staff in graduate education. It showcases optimized approaches to self-care, self-regulation, and policy development, as well as trauma-informed, arts-based, and embodied pedagogies. Particular attention is given to the challenges faced by minority groups including Indigenous, international, refugee, and immigrant students and staff. Providing a timely analysis of the current issues surrounding student and faculty wellbeing, the book appeals to scholars and researchers working across the fields of higher education, sociology of education, educational psychology, and student affairs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Can we predict HoLEP surgery operating times for a given prostate volume to enhance theatre utilization?

Introduction & Objectives: Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) has the strongest evidence base for bladder outlet surgery, despite its steep learning curve. Rapid enucleation rates can be achieved in established hands with day-case surgery being the norm in service delivery. We have previously shown the validity of such a model. With the post Covid surgical backlog we have developed a tool to support theatre utilization based on established surgeon specific operating room (OR) times for a given prostate volume in our unit based on almost 1100 cases. Material(s) and Method(s): Four HoLEP naive surgeons completed 1096 HoLEPs over 7.5 years using a 50 Watt (W) Holmium laser (Auriga XL, Boston Scientific Inc., Piranha morcellator, Richard Wolf). Pre and post-operative data including TRUS/MRI volume, flow rate, residual volume, international prostate symptom score, quality of life, stop-clock enucleation, morcellation and total operating room (OR) times, hospital stay, histology, haemoglobin, creatinine, sodium and catheter times were prospectively recorded. Mentorship was provided by a senior 100W HoLEP surgeon from an adjoining hospital. Result(s): The data was independently analysed by a bio-statistician (IN). Statistical regression analysis of unit and surgeon specific OR times vs prostate volume were used to produce predictive linear graphs of OR times (mins) for a given prostate volume for individual surgeons and the unit. [Figure presented] Conclusion(s): Use of surgeon-specific and unit specific OR times allows the opportunity to maximize theatre operating schedules to help tackle the post Covid surgical backlog. We encourage this process for index specialist procedures across units.Copyright © 2023 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Forum: Gendered Dynamics of Academic Networks

This forum examines whether scholars' access to networks in the international studies profession is gendered and if so, the consequences of those networks for personal and professional success. Academic networks that encompass both professional and personal connections have been proposed as one solution to chilly climate issues because they provide a dual function of enhancing scholarly productivity and inclusion in the profession. The articles in the forum consider both professional (e.g. citation) and personal (e.g. mentorship, friendship) networks, as well as traditional (e.g. invited talks) and nontraditional (e.g. social media) networks. The authors show that biases that arise through the gendered nature of academic networks can be mitigated through social media, mentoring, and friendship networks. However, we must also be cognizant of other factors that create barriers for women in the profession (e.g. university prestige, parenthood, COVID-19). [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Studies Perspectives is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Certificate of excellence completion rate of the CC-ERUS Fellowship and reasons for non-completion

Introduction & Objectives: The Certified Curriculum of ERUS Fellowship (CC-ERUS) on robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is almost 10 years old. To complete the ERUS outcome-based fellowship, a video of a full RARP performed by the fellow must be assessed by an expert. The aim of the current study was to 1) understand and report the completion rate of the fellowship (i.e., achievement of the Certificate of Excellence award) 2) identify reasons for non-completion. Material(s) and Method(s): The CC-ERUS consists of a structured training program that includes an eLearning part, followed by one-week robotic skills course, and then 6 months of modular training at a host center. At the end of the fellowship, trainees are requested to submit a video of a full RARP performed by themselves. After the video is objectively assessed by experts, the fellowship is completed and the fellow can receive the Certificate of Excellence (after positive assessment). We analysed our database which includes prospectively collected data on all CC-ERUS fellows. We then conducted a telephone survey on 2018-2021 CC-ERUS Fellows to investigate the reasons for non-completion. Standardized interview format questions were used to conduct the survey. Result(s): Data on 87 subjects who were enrolled in the fellowship between January 2018 and December 2021 were collated. All subjects successfully completed the CC-ERUS training in the lab but only 26 (29.9%) fellows achieved the certificate of excellence, while 61 (70.1%) did not. The completion rate by year was 20% in 2018, 29% in 2019, 36.4% in 2020, and 31.4% among the 2021 fellows. Therefore, the COVID-19 pandemic had only a modest impact on the completion rate. The response rate to the telephone interview survey was 77%. The following reasons for non-completion emerged: insufficient console exposure (49%), insufficient fellowship duration (20%), COVID-19 pandemic (11%), logistic difficulties in submitting the video (20%). Conclusion(s): The CC-ERUS for RARP was the first validated robotic curriculum in the world, and still one of the best and the very few outcome-based fellowships. Nonetheless, we observed a low fellowship completion rate that needs to be addressed with appropriate actions. To increase the fellowship completion rate, three solutions should be considered by the ERUS board: 1. Review of the Host Centers, to exclude those which do not meet the certification criteria (amongst whom insufficient console time for the fellow) 2. Periodical Train-The-Trainers courses for the mentors in the Host Center 3. Follow-up procedural diary: the fellows will be requested to submit videos of each phase while progressing in their modular training and self-assess their performance using validated RARP metrics.Copyright © 2023 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

E-Mentoring in the nGAP Mentorship Program: Practitioners' Narratives

Mentoring has earned itself growing popularity in higher education due to its impact on the development of both the mentee and mentor. While some institutions use mentoring in their undergraduate and postgraduate education, others have found it a tool to advance their early career academics. In some institutions, mentoring involves individuals with similar experiential levels, whereas in others, it involves individuals from different levels of experience. Very little, though, has been said on the use of e-mentoring as a device that connects individuals and enhance their learning. Furthermore, researchers are found to rely heavily on interviews and questionnaires as their sources of data, with rare cases where practitioners have room to narrate their lived experiences. The purpose of this article is to share the learning experiences of the three colleagues (a mentor and mentee in the nGAP mentorship program and an instructional designer [practitioners]), in a South African university who participated in and narrated their e-mentoring experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used relational-cultural theory as it enabled their connection and interaction despite extreme differences in experience and knowledge. We used thematic analysis technique and specific developmental relationships- zest, empowered action, increased sense of worth, new knowledge, and desire for more connection-emerged as the findings in this study. Besides institutional resources such as workshops, technological infrastructure, and constant communication, sociopsychological factors such as dedication and commitment, communication and trust, openness and willingness to learn, courage and availability for one another, made the connection, relationships, and learning possible. © 2022 Common Ground Research Networks. All rights reserved.

New graduate nursing retention in 2020: A multifactorial analysis

The issue of new graduates prematurely exiting the profession has a long- standing, complicated history in nursing. Current retention is further complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The state of the global workforce and transition shock theory situate this issue. Ray's theory of bureaucratic caring frames the analysis with proposed recommendations for individual nurses, healthcare organizations, and academia. The sociocultural and political domains of Ray's theory offer guidance for nurse leaders in academic and practice settings. The importance of a collaborative relationship between academic and practice settings is vital to mitigate the phenomenon of early exit of new graduates. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Flourishing, youth mentoring, and mental health challenges among college students: Gaining understanding to improve the collegiate experience

College can be a trying and difficult time for many students, and some experience increased levels of stress and mental health challenges during college. Finding opportunities that increase students' flourishing may assist with offsetting the stress of college. Flourishing is defined as having self-perceived success in supportive relationships, optimism, feelings of purpose and self-esteem (Diener et al., 2010). Emerging research suggests that serving as a mentor to youth within the community may be associated with college students' flourishing by promoting positive interpersonal connections (Maples et al., 2020). While theoretically promising, empirical research in this area is limited. The aim of this two-study dissertation was to address this gap in the literature by (a) examining the specific experiences of college students participating in a mentoring-based program (e.g., relationships with youth, staff, and peers, personal skill development) that contributed to flourishing (i.e., Study 1), (b) testing whether participation in a service-learning course where college students mentor youth within the community was associated with higher flourishing as compared to college students not enrolled in the course (i.e., Study 2), and (c) testing whether mental health challenges (i.e., anxiety and depression) moderated the effect of youth mentoring service-learning on flourishing (i.e., Study 2). Participants (N = 9;all female) for Study 1 were recruited from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities YMCA (UY) Y Tutors program, a voluntary youth mentoring program where college students from the University of Minnesota mentor youth in an after school setting. Following a descriptive qualitative mixed method phenomenological study, I identified aspects of the mentoring experience that appear to have contributed to college students' experience of flourishing. Specifically, participants in this study described positive relationships and active engagement, a sense of purpose, hope for their future and opportunities for personal and professional growth related to their experiences at the UY. Participants (N=563;17-41 years old;Mage=20.06) for Study 2 were recruited from a university service-learning youth mentoring program (Campus Connections;CC) at Colorado State University (CSU) and from a participant pool at CSU (psychology courses and HDFS courses). CC is an on-campus mentoring intervention that serves at-risk youth by providing mentoring relationships with college students at CSU, however in this study all mentoring was conducted online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a pre-post, quasi-experimental design, I investigated the differences in post-intervention flourishing scores between college students enrolled in CC compared to college students not enrolled in the program controlling for identified covariates and baseline flourishing. Additionally, I explored whether baseline mental health challenges (i.e., anxiety and depression) moderated the impact of youth mentoring service-learning on flourishing. Findings indicate that participating in a service-learning youth mentoring program had a positive impact on flourishing scores, and mental health challenges (i.e., anxiety and depression) did not moderate the relationship CC had on flourishing. Future research should continue to investigate the relationships between participating in youth mentoring, flourishing and mental health challenges, as well as further understanding the unique components of youth mentoring programs that lead to flourishing. Together, these studies advance the understanding of how participating in a youth mentoring program impacts flourishing for college students and holds important implications for mentoring programs and university personnel. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

New principals leading change: Disrupting the status quo through critically conscious principal reciprocal mentoring

This dissertation focused on the extent to which principal mentoring supported new principals' leadership for equitable outcomes for all students. Using a human-centered leadership framework, three principal mentoring pairs participated in a two-month study of their mentoring practices. A combination of individual and group interviews was used to explore the kinds of mentoring practices that were used and their impact on decision making and leadership in three Canadian elementary schools. Findings included the importance of social-emotional leadership. New principals needed encouragement and support as they led their schools through the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding and awareness of current bias did not shift through conversations between mentors and mentees. Mentors and mentees engaged in storytelling and rehashing one's "aha moments." These past reflections affirmed existing assumptions and did not appear to shift mentees' mindsets or lead to resolutions for practice in future dilemmas. Mentors did not report discourse patterns that challenged existing practice or offered insight into tactics that might leverage participatory decision-making for long-term change. The results suggest the need for a structured principal mentoring program that focuses on leadership for equity. This approach to mentoring can be taught. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Shattering the glass ceiling through purpose development: an intersectional examination of the role of adversity and mentoring among adolescent girls

Adolescent girls have reached unprecedented levels of success in today's society. Simultaneously, many adolescent girls face adversities and their mental health remains a concern (Schramal et al., 2010;Spencer et al., 2018;). Positive Youth Development scholars continues to explore how society can best support adolescent girls as they navigate key developmental milestones (Lerner et al., 2005;Damon, 2004). Importantly, research has solidified a number of benefits of Youth Purpose (i.e., a long-term, committed, directed aspiration, with a prosocial desire). Youth Purpose is considered a key developmental asset, and contributes to thriving. Indeed, having a sense of purpose can serve as a protective factor for individuals and help bolster their overall well-being (Liang et al., 2018;Liang et al, 2017;Damon et al., 2003). Youth purpose along with Post Traumatic Growth can positively impact individuals facing adversities (Kashdan & McKnight, 2009;Tedeschi & Lawrence, 2004). Similarly, mentoring relationships are associated with numerous positive outcomes including the development of purpose (Dubois & Rhodes, 2006;Lerner, 2004;Liang et al., 2017). While youth purpose is well documented (Damon et al., 2003;Hill et al., 2010), there is limited research on purpose development for adolescent girls from marginalized backgrounds. Given the profound benefits of purpose, additional research is warranted on how purpose is cultivated in marginalized adolescent girls. This dissertation sought to expand the literature and better understand how adversity relates to purpose development, during the adolescent years and how mentoring relationships can contribute to this development. Additional research is needed to focus on one of the most vulnerable populations, adolescent girls from marginalized backgrounds, and to discover ways to help protect their mental health and well- being as they continue to thrive in society. This study included 13 interviews with adolescent girls from marginalized backgrounds. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data and five major themes emerged. Analyses suggested that while these participants experiences endured adverse experiences, they maintained a positive outlook on life, and their future. With the help of their mentors, and through the development of critical consciousness, participants were able to utilize adverse experiences to help inform their sense of purpose. Data was collected during the COVID-19 pandemic. This crucial time period allowed for the collection of exemplary data, which revealed how adolescent girls utilized the pandemic as a time for self-growth, and how they conceptualized their purpose with respect to the pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Challenges child life specialist faculty face in supporting child life specialist candidates seeking internships

The COVID-19 pandemic created challenges for students seeking clinical internships, and faculty have felt those obstacles trying to mentor students. The problem addressed in this study were the challenges child life specialist faculty at a local colleges face in supporting child life specialist candidates in locating internships upon degree completion. The purpose of this study was to understand the obstacles child life specialist faculty face in supporting child life specialist candidates in obtaining internships and what institutional support could be offered to alleviate those obstacles. The significance of this study was the necessity of child life specialist faculty to successfully mentor child life specialist candidates toward obtaining internships. The conceptual framework for this study was based on Kouzes and Posner's model of transformational leadership. Two research questions explored the obstacles child life specialist faculty face in supporting child life specialist candidates in obtaining internships and what institutional support could be offered to alleviate those obstacles. A basic qualitative design was used to interview 10 child life specialist faculty. Data were analyzed for common codes, categories, and themes from participant responses. From the data emerged six themes that provided a framework for the design of the project study. The Faculty Tool Kit is a 3-day workshop to enhance faculty skills and competency in mentoring students. The findings are supported by the transformational leadership model and provide a better understanding of the need for social change in the way child life specialist faculty support child life specialist candidates in their quest for internships. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)