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Mentoring: What’s in it for you?

By Chris Mercer, Consultant physiotherapist, Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

When I was asked to write something about my experience of mentoring University of Brighton MSc students on placement, my default setting was to think about the academic studies I would use to support and champion the role, and the evidence base I would use to promote the benefits for the department and those involved.

My heart wasn’t in that though, just my head, so I took a step back and thought, why do I get involved? -after all it can be a chunk of work, challenging and time consuming. Not really selling it so far Merce! How about this then- I do it because I love it-it’s the lifeblood of what drives me as a physio and team lead and working with colleagues to facilitate them to develop their skills is inspiring and immensely rewarding. I surprise myself reading these words back, as actually they crystallize why I am still so passionate about my job and the profession I work in and I don’t think I had really realised that. I will come back to this later, but first will reflect on my journey in the mentoring world.

I have been blessed to work with some amazing physios and medics, people who have been unfailingly generous with their time, unfailingly challenging in their approaches and unfailingly inspirational. However, I think my journey started way before then.

Mrs Roome was my junior school teacher when I was about 8 (that’s a bloody long time ago for those of you who don’t know me!). So why am I harking back to a time before computers, mobile phones and colour TV. This is why…….Mrs Roome instilled in me and all her charges what is now known as a “growth mindset”. What the heck is that? It’s a term coined to describe an approach that celebrates the journey and not the destination. It’s an approach that encourages questioning and challenge, and celebrates failures as “marvellous mistakes” and opportunities to learn. I’ve learned a whole lot more about this since becoming a governor at my kids’ school, and despite the government’s attempts to test children to extinction, there are still thankfully a new generation of Mrs Roomes celebrating the journey with kids.

Happily, I have had the pleasure of making thousands of “marvellous mistakes” along the way and remarkably have managed to not repeat them all! There have been so many Mrs Roomes along my journey- Fiona Sampson and Louise Newton at Roehampton, Cymbeline Gaynor at UCH, Steve Jones, Miranda Lyell, Susie Durrell and Nadya German at St George’s, Mike Chard at Worthing, Nikki Petty and Ann Moore at Brighton and so many more. I am indebted to them all.

So what I hear you say-well, I think these people have positively influenced the way I try to work now with the great team I work with at Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust. Apologies to Clair and Colette for taking so long to get to this point but what do you expect if you give me free rein-this may be another of my “marvellous mistakes”!

What is our experience of taking MSc students on placement, and how it has helped to transform and develop our department. We first started taking post grad students in 2003, which was a bit of a culture shock to the team but bore fruits almost immediately. Open, challenging clinical discussions taking place in the middle if the department was an oddity, but it sparked interest from members of our team who had not had the opportunity to reason through treatments in a non-threatening or judgemental way. I think the real inspiration for the team was seeing that it was possible to be challenged and pushed without being judged, and this inspired them to undertake MSc studies too. Since then, loads of our staff have been on this journey, and since 2003 we have 18 people trained to Masters level, 6 with Pg Certs in Clinical Education, and an open and vibrant learning culture in the department.

I reckon the MSc students we have had on placement can take a huge chunk of the credit for our progress. Each of these students (around 100 of them) has offered our staff the opportunity to mentor them. These clinical mentors have developed their skills and knowledge in education theory and practice, which has had positive benefits for their supervision and mentoring of our own staff. I think it has also greatly developed their confidence as clinicians as they work with and guide the students.

And what of the students themselves? What’s in it for them? Once they have overcome the initial anxiety and concerns about being “judged” by their peers, they generally immerse themselves in the learning opportunity and embrace the rich challenging environment. Yes really, they do! Hard work, yes. Worth it? Hell, yes!

Whilst mentoring is described as the guidance offered by more experienced to less experienced participants, our experience has been that the mentoring process has been very much a peer learning opportunity. It has been a symbiotic relationship where our department has benefitted hugely, giving us new perspectives and challenges to our practice, whilst we have worked with the students to help them understand and challenge their own thoughts and practice. Sounds great, doesn’t it? It is, and as a department we continue to truly value this special relationship.

On top of the clinical and educational/cultural benefits, we have also managed to recruit 5 members of staff over the years on the back of clinical placements-these are the ultimate practical exam and interview, and a great way to “try before you buy” for both parties.

So, is mentoring MSc students for you and your department? How could it not be? It’s such a privilege to work with so many different physios who can bring so much to the table and to be part of their journey. Making a small difference to someone else’s career is immensely rewarding and important for the development of the profession- it still gives me a huge buzz and drives me on- I reckon Mrs Roome should take a bow and accept my sincere, though belated, thanks