Mentoring medical students as a means to increase healthcare assistant status: A qualitative study

Davison, Elizabeth ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8636-3635, Semlyen, Joanna ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5372-1344 and Lindqvist, Susanne ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8598-6240 (2024) Mentoring medical students as a means to increase healthcare assistant status: A qualitative study. Nursing Open, 11 (4). ISSN 2054-1058

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Abstract

Aim: To offer a practical way in which the status of healthcare assistants (HCAs) can be increased by drawing on their experience, knowledge and skillset, whilst mentoring medical students during an HCA project. Design: Qualitative, reflexive thematic analysis. Methods: One-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted between April and June 2019, with 13 participants. Participants included five healthcare assistants; three practice development nurses, two of whom were former HCAs; one registered general nurse and four clinical educators. Results: Two themes were identified: HCAs as silent, invisible caregivers (theme 1) and the formation of an HCA identity through mentoring (theme 2). HCAs are often silent performers of complex patient care with limited opportunity to engage in the interprofessional team dialogue. Social perceptions of HCAs describe them as a marginalised, poorly understood, ‘unqualified’ group with ‘lowly status’. Mentoring medical students allows HCAs to draw on their experience, knowledge and skillset by actively contributing to the learning and development of future doctors. Conclusion: The mentoring of medical students gave HCAs an active voice within the interprofessional team, instilling their confidence and self-worth. Mentoring allowed HCAs to move from a homogenous, group-based social identity to a role-based one that enabled HCAs to reveal the true extent of their work whilst negotiating their place and identity within the interprofessional team. Impact Leaders in healthcare will see that a re-evaluation of HCAs as performers of basic, hands-on patient care is needed to breakdown ingrained beliefs, eliminating a ‘us and them’ mentality. Involving HCAs in the mentoring of medical students will impact on the personal development of both HCAs and medical students in the cultivation of a future, person-centred, inclusive and collaborative workforce. Reporting Method COREQ guidelines to enhance methodological rigour were strictly adhered to. Patient and Public Involvement There is no patient or public involvement.

Item Type:	Article
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Epidemiology and Public Health Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Population Health Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Norwich Institute for Healthy Aging Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Centre for Interprofessional Practice Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Lifespan Health
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	26 Mar 2024 11:30
Last Modified:	06 Jun 2024 15:26
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/94760
DOI:	10.1002/nop2.2149

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