Mentorship: a reflective journey of self discovery

As the paramedic profession continues to move away from its vocational approach to training to the academic route of education, I agree wholeheartedly with the statement by Jones et al (2012) that paramedic practice mentors are, and will continue to be, pivotal in the success of this transition. It is therefore vital as a profession that we fully embrace the whole concept of mentorship and realise the importance of developing individuals who have a full understanding of the skills and qualities required to enable them to become truly effective mentors. It is also vitally important for us to understand how an ineffective mentor can have a catastrophic effect on an individual just beginning their career.

In February 2013, I enrolled on a Level 6 15 credit mentorship module at the University of Surrey (fully funded by my trust) to begin my journey to become a mentor/practice placement educator. The following article uses Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle (developed by Graham Gibbs in 1988 from Kolb's ideas in educational theory (Jasper, 2003)) to refect on my personal journey through this experience.