1. "Someone to talk to": A qualitative study of oncology trainees' experience of mentorship around moral distress.
- Author
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Preti, Beatrice T. B. and Wood, Sarah
- Subjects
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PHENOMENOLOGY , *MENTORING , *ONCOLOGY , *HONESTY , *QUALITATIVE research - Abstract
Background: Moral distress is an intrinsic part of healthcare, particularly prevalent in oncology practitioners. Previous studies have suggested mentorship may play a role in combatting moral distress; however, there is a lack of good evidence aimed at understanding trainees' experience with either mentorship or moral distress, including the intersection between the two. Methods: We conducted a single‐centre study in the hermeneutic phenomenological approach at a Canadian academic cancer centre. Six semi‐structured interviews with senior oncology trainees were conducted and analysed according to the interpretive profiles hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Findings/results: Key findings include the idea that trainees do find mentorship valuable and helpful in navigating moral distress, which is described as common and inevitable, with a number of triggers and factors identified. However, a mentorship relationship must involve mutual respect, understanding, and honesty in order to be valuable. Additionally, engaging in open, honest discussions with mentors, particularly more senior individuals, is seen as a risk–benefit balance by trainees; vertical mentors bring more wisdom and experience, but may also have a greater impact on a trainee's future. Conclusion: This thought‐provoking study highlights mentorship as a potential method to combat the troubling phenomenon of moral distress in oncology trainees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...
- Published
- 2024
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