‘Derek, can I ask you a question?’ You never know what will follow this when sitting in the crew room on station, waiting to start a shift. ‘Of course.’ One of my colleagues asked me what makes a good mentor, or practice educator. He has been allocated a third year BSc student to mentor over the coming 10 weeks and wanted to be the best mentor he could be. This got me thinking…
Having completed 3 years at university, clocking up a lot of placement hours and 10 months as a newly qualified paramedic (NQP), I have seen and experienced a lot of good mentorship and some that may have required some development. So what do I think makes a good mentor, and what support do I need and want as an NQP?
Firstly, I require support at the correct level, taking into account my knowledge and experience. While I may not have a lot of experience, compared with those who have completed the internal Diploma route, I have all the underpinning knowledge and I am a registered paramedic. I need a mentor to be respectful of my knowledge while creating a positive learning environment so that experiential learning can happen throughout the shift. There may be instances where I am comfortable with assessment and clinical decision-making and others where I require some support. I have enough self-awareness to know when to ask for help and guidance—and I do so regularly. Open and honest feedback is welcome throughout the shift but, equally, a good mentor should be open to feedback and questions also. In the Scottish Ambulance Service, NQPs work with another paramedic for their first 6 months. This allows time to settle into your own ways or working and become more comfortable with clinical decision-making. At first, I was sceptical about this, thinking that it would be the same relationship as ‘student/mentor’ from third year at university—thankfully, I was wrong. The paramedics I worked with let me develop my own practice, providing the correct level of support.
Secondly, being new to both the profession and to the city, there are things that I just don’t know yet. How was I to know that North Bridge has been closed for over a year and our sat nav will try and take you over it? Gentle reminders are welcome, but as an NQP, I will probably be running through everything in my head on the way to a job, so go easy on us over the trivial things! Some of this ‘new-ness’ can be alleviated through induction: new hospital procedures, new kit, new vehicles, new terminology, on top of starting out in a new job. Having a mentor who allows the space to think but is there in a supportive and respectful way is vital.
I have not yet read the Handbook for Practice Educators from the College of Paramedics yet, but I think there needs to be an acknowledgement that the mentorship of third-year students and NQPs is different, as we require different support at a different level, taking into account our previous 3 years at university and how we can develop our confidence and experience.
Finally, having someone who can offer some friendly words of wisdom, including where the decent coffee shops are, is great and very much welcome!