The Value of OT Mentoring

By Marissa Beaston, MOT, OTR/L, CDP

Occupational therapist

As occupational therapists working with older adults, we encounter a wide variety of diagnoses and conditions. It is difficult to feel like an expert in our field at times, even with a few years of experience in a particular practice area, because of the broad scope of our clinical knowledge and varying levels of exposure to specific impairments and presentations of symptoms in the individuals we treat daily. Occupation can mean so many different things to the individuals we treat, which keeps our work interesting but can also be intimidating coming into the field as a newly graduated professional. The continual learning process that we participate in may contribute to clinicians undervaluing the level of clinical expertise they possess when considering mentorship.

Becoming a mentor can help you reflect on your experiences as a clinician in the field and use the knowledge you’ve gained to support a newly graduated professional as they begin their career. I say this because this was my exact experience.

MY STORY AS AN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY MENTEE AND MENTOR

I started with FOX Rehabilitation as a newly graduated professional and believe strongly in the value of excellent clinical mentorship in shaping the clinician I am today. Because the quality of mentorship I received was so strong, becoming a mentor myself was intimidating. I initially wasn’t sure when I would truly feel ready to embrace that role. As clinicians, we are constantly seeking ways to master different diagnoses and conditions of individuals we work with and to implement current research in our practice to ensure we are delivering clinically excellent care. Instructing new clinicians in our practices reminds us to always be critical of the care we are delivering and ensure it is supported by good clinical reasoning, which is always necessary as an autonomous clinician. 

I feel that mentorship is crucial for clinicians working in the Geriatric House Calls model as well because we are often the go-to medical professionals interacting with patients on a regular basis, which puts us in a unique position. I personally did not have much experience with deciding the course of action when medical issues such as possible infection, cardiac events, or neurological symptoms presented during treatment sessions prior to working in the home. It was so helpful to have guidance through these difficult situations with my mentor initially and having these experiences personally was valuable for guiding my new graduate mentee through similar situations.

THE VALUE OF OT MENTORSHIP

The clinical knowledge gained through mentorship and clinical instruction is unlike any that we learn in school and it is our professional responsibility to educate new clinicians to further our profession. We would not be where we are today without the great clinical instructors, mentors, and potentially coworkers who helped shape us as clinicians. Becoming an instructor or mentor is a great learning experience and gives us the chance to collaborate with clinicians who have had different professional, educational, and personal experiences that have led them to occupational therapy. Most clinical instructors and mentors would agree that they gained valuable experience from their students or mentees that they have incorporated into their own practice as a result. The continued delivery of clinically excellent care to our patients requires the sustained mentorship of students and new clinicians in best practice in years to come.

THINKING ABOUT BECOMING A MENTOR?

Taking on a new graduate mentor role, with FOX specifically, is something that can easily fit into our work schedules. Our responsibilities as a mentor can be delivered with little additional time spent outside of our regular workday and normally include phone calls, observation sessions, review of documentation as needed, and in-person meetings to ensure our mentee is feeling confident and competent.

Mentorship may feel more intensive in the first two to three weeks as newly graduated professionals acclimate to the challenges of scheduling and documentation. However, our primary role as they gain experience in the months to come is to offer support with difficult situations and to field clinical and practical questions as they arise. Remember, new graduates are clinicians who are fully trained and licensed so they are well prepared to begin treating on their own, and the mentor serves as a supportive role to foster confidence in this new step of their careers. Mentorship has been a rewarding experience professionally and personally as I have learned about my mentee and welcomed them into our FOX family. This ultimately makes mentoring an immensely valuable experience. Taking on a new professional role can be challenging at times but the outcome – a confident, well-adjusted clinician – is absolutely worth it.