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Objectives To set up and assess a peer-to-peer mentoring project using RCPCH guidelines1 for neonatal trainees and junior doctors in tertiary neonatal units. Methods The project was carried out at two tertiary neonatal units and involved five cohorts of junior doctors over 2 1⁄2 years. Each cohort underwent a teaching session on mentoring and peer-to-peer support, using RCPCH guidance. The agreement of the senior doctor team was sought, as the expectation was that mentors could escalate concerns raised in meetings about mental health or physical well-being using appropriate pathways already in place. Doctors either chose their own mentors or were allocated a mentor. Mentors and mentees received follow-up training sessions as well as ongoing support in group sessions provided by in-house psychologists. Pre- and post-project questionnaires were collected. Each iteration of the project was guided by previous feedback. Results Teaching on mentoring and peer-to-peer support were delivered to 146 junior doctors. Of these, 32 were paediatricians not in training posts. 73 and 54 doctors filled in pre- and post-project questionnaires respectively, and 46 doctors met with their mentors. 98% rated the scheme as 'very useful' or 'useful', with 2% rating the scheme as 'neither useful nor not useful'. All respondents felt that the scheme would be 'useful' or 'very useful' in the future. Free text feedback was positive: 'I really liked the idea of the mentoring scheme; I think it was positive and showed a good level of communication and support between trainees. I hope this is carried out in the future.' 'Friendly, non-judgemental advice' Mentees expressed increased confidence and decreased anxiety: 'Feeling empowered to reach out and get support and advice from more senior colleagues.' 'Loads of support, especially when I was struggling.' Mentors expressed satisfaction: 'I enjoyed supporting my mentee and gained a feeling of satisfaction seeing him develop as a paediatric trainee.' Both mentors and mentees felt the scheme cemented collaborative working: 'Established better teamwork, especially on night shifts.' Conclusion The project was well received. Doctors reported feeling less isolated, with a positive impact on teamwork and ethos. Especially important was that the project included non-training grade paediatricians, who form an important proportion of the junior doctor workforce numbers, but who don't have access to mentoring support through channels open to trainees. Peer-to-peer mentoring support, by junior doctors and for junior doctors can be an invaluable tool in supporting clinicians in training. Reference RCPCH – Mentoring Support. Online Cited: October 29, 2023. https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/mentoring-support.
Marothy et al. (Tue,) studied this question.