Building Passion Develops Meaningful Mentoring Relationships among Canadian Physiotherapists

PURPOSE: To describe the meaning of mentorship among Canadian orthopaedic physiotherapists. METHODS: As part of a phenomenological qualitative study, 14 registered physiotherapists (13 women, 1 man) each participated in a single 60-minute, semi-structured face-to-face interview. Participants reflected on their experiences in receiving and providing mentorship and described the impact of mentorship on their careers. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a phenomenological approach. RESULTS: Participants described mentorship as any nurturing process in which they used their skills and experience to guide, teach, and encourage a less skilled or less experienced colleague for the purpose of promoting professional and personal development. Participants experienced mentorship as a positive, reflective phenomenon. According to participants, the true essence of mentorship in physiotherapy consists of building passion, keeping fresh, making us stronger, and promoting deeper learning. CONCLUSIONS: Building a shared passion for learning, as well as a mentor's commitment to the mentee's success, forms the foundation of meaningful mentorship in physiotherapy. These mentoring relationships enable physiotherapists to adapt to the changing health care system, advance patient care, and develop the profession.