An approach to mentoring healthcare play specialist students.
Healthcare play specialists (HPSs) provide therapeutic play programmes for children in healthcare settings. Each HPS student must have a mentor in practice, but most HPSs have received no formal training for their role. This article explores mentoring in the HPS service at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. A study day for HPSs was arranged to share best practice and discuss the challenges of mentoring students. Stronger links were built between the higher education institute that delivers the training to HPS students and the trust, and the HPSs were provided with a deeper understanding of what was required of them in their mentoring role. HPSs highlighted the importance of a yearly update on mentoring students.
Clinical education team, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London.
Rachel
R
Brown
Clinical education team, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London.
Mags
M
Jubb
D006801:Humans; D000071252:Mentoring / Q000379:methods*; D010989:Play Therapy / Q000193:education*; D013038:Specialization; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*
child health; education; healthcare play specialist; mentoring; paediatric nursing