Mentoring Program

OBJECTIVE:
This study assessed burnout in new chairs of obstetricsand gynecology and whether mentoring by experienced chairs wouldprevent or reduce burnout.
STUDY DESIGN:
We performed a year-long prospective, randomizedtrial. Questionnaires were sent to new chairs to obtain demographicinformation and to identify need for mentoring and level of burnout.Fourteen chairs in the intervention group selected a mentor; 13 chairsserved as controls. After 1 year, questionnaires were completed to de-termine stress and burnout and the impact of mentoring.
RESULTS:
Financial issues were the major stressors. New chairsidentiﬁed human resources, ﬁnances, and relationships with school leaders as areas of greatest need for mentoring. Few chairs exhib-ited burnout. No differences were observed in burnout at the start ofthe study or after 1 year in the study groups. Mentors and newchairs found the mentoring relationship difﬁcult to establish andmaintain.
CONCLUSION:
Long-distance mentoring by experienced chairs did notalter burnout in new chairs of obstetrics and gynecology. Local mentors appear to be more effective.

Rank: 87

First Author: Gabbe

Outcome: Stress,Burnout

Outcome p-value: Stress:●, Burnout:●

Intervention Category: Organizational and System-Level,Peer Support

Time per Employee (hours): No time specified.

D&B Study Quality Rating: 13

Reviewer Confidence: 1.5

Country: US

Study Design Type: RCT

Materials Available to Implement: Intervention outlined in publication. Each participant received a copy of: The Manager’s Pocket Guide to Effective Mentoring by Dr Norman H. Cohen (HRD Press). Author emails not listed in publication.

Organiz./Individ. Focus: Organizational

Prevention Category: Primary,Secondary

Effect size Small:

Effect size Medium:

Reference: Gabbe, S. G., Webb, L. E., Moore, D. E., Mandel, L. S., Melville, J. L., & Spickard, W. A. (2008). Can mentors prevent and reduce burnout in new chairs of departments of obstetrics and gynecology: Results from a prospective, randomized pilot study. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 198(6), 653.e1-653.e7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2007.11.004