Abstract
This study explored e-mentorship’s impact on burnout and occupational balance among new graduate OTs. Results showed that e-mentorship for new graduates positively influenced perceptions of burnout and occupational balance.
Primary Author and Speaker: Taylor Heffner
Burnout is a significant issue for occupational therapists (OTs), impacting wellness, job satisfaction, and service quality. Structured mentorship is a proposed solution to mitigate burnout, enhance occupational balance, and provide professional growth. This pilot study examines the effects of e-mentorship on burnout and occupational balance in new graduate OTs during their first year of practice. The research question is: Does a virtual mentorship program influence burnout and occupational balance in new graduate OTs? This mixed-methods exploratory study aligns with the life balance model. Participants were recruited through snowball sampling and met the following criteria: mentees must be recent graduates, licensed, and working within their first year of practice; mentors must have 2–5 years of clinical experience. The 3-week program included weekly synchronous Zoom meetings with near-peer mentors, asynchronous wellness activities, and peer discussion boards. Topics focused on burnout, occupational balance, and social wellness. Mentee participants completed an intake form, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and the Occupational Balance Questionnaire as pretest measures. A post-program survey assessed the participants’ perceptions of the e-mentorship program and was thematically coded to analyze feedback. Of 15 enrolled participants, 2 completed the program. Pretest data indicated that 50% experienced burnout and occupational imbalance. Regarding prior mentorship, 43% reported no mentorship, 43% reported insufficient mentorship, and 14% reported sufficient mentorship. Post-test data indicated that participants found the e-mentorship program helpful in addressing burnout and occupational balance. Additionally, they felt continued mentorship would be beneficial throughout their first year of practice. These findings highlight the need for a dedicated mentorship platform to support early career OTs, improve well-being, enhance professional growth, and mitigate burnout.
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