Virtual Faculty and Peer Mentoring to Promote Social Belonging among Minoritized Physical Therapist and Nursing Students

Abstract

Minoritized health sciences students report experiencing social isolation and discrimination, and cite the lack of faculty representation as barriers to their success. While virtual mentoring can increase sense of belonging and connectedness, these effects have not been examined in minoritized health sciences students. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether virtual mentoring from faculty and peers could decrease social isolation and promote social belonging among minoritized first-year physical therapy and nursing students. Using a mixed methods explanatory sequential design, racial and ethnic minority physical therapy and nursing students (n = 8) received virtual mentoring and attended virtual networking events while students from across the health profession programs served as a comparison group (n = 16). While virtual mentoring relationships took longer to establish, there was an increase in satisfaction with mentoring for the intervention group compared with no improvement for the comparison group who received traditional academic advising. Qualitative data analysis revealed that mentors served as role models who had overcome barriers and persevered, decreasing feelings of isolation, and bolstering mentee confidence. A virtual multiple-mentor model can decrease isolation and promote social belonging for minoritized students and offer support for students even after the pandemic.

Mentoring the mentor: Developing clinical instructor cross-cultural psychological capital to support culturally/linguistically diverse DPT students

“…Consistent with existing research, [5][6][7][8][9]22 CLD learners expressed challenges in the CEE, including encountering biased patients and feeling pressure to assimilate into American culture. CLD mentors experienced similar challenges early in their careers.…”

“…15 When this program was replicated in the virtual environment with DPT and nursing faculty, all members of the mentoring team once again made gains. 22 Reichard et al 20 conducted cross-cultural training for participants in the US and South Africa and found a significant increase in CC PsyCap and cultural intelligence post-training. In this study, all three CIs gained CC PsyCap over the course of the study reinforcing that this resource can be developed by sharing knowledge and offering the opportunity for skill development.…”

“…Consistent with prior studies on the multiple mentor model, we saw that all mentoring team members made gains. 15,22 Though mentoring takes time and emotional investment, CLD mentors described it as fulfilling and key to producing future CLD clinicians and mentors.…”

“…21 DPT and nursing academic faculty who participated in a 6-monthlong mentoring program supporting students from minoritized backgrounds demonstrated increases in their CC PsyCap and self-efficacy to engage in dialog about race. 22 It is not known whether these findings can be replicated in the CEE with CIs over a much shorter time period.…”

The importance of neurodivergent mentorship for the development of professional identity

“…Mentorship programs are a well-established method of increasing students' and practitioners' self-efficacy, practical skills, and therapeutic use of self (Braveman, 2006). Naidoo et al (2022) asserted that physical therapy and nursing mentors serve as role models who have overcome barriers through perseverance; this can improve mentee confidence while decreasing feelings of isolation. Additionally, Ford et al (2020) found that 83% of occupational therapy students from marginalized communities expressed the desire to have a mentor with shared experiences.…”