Conectar
To explore the experiences and support needs of Black Canadian parents with preterm infants and to engage them in co-creating a culturally informed framework to inform nurses, healthcare providers and community organisations to better serve this population.
Preterm birth (PTB) is a traumatic experience that places significant physical and emotional strain on families and other caregivers. Despite research showing that Black mothers are at risk of PTB, little is known about their experiences of giving birth to a preterm infant and the challenges they encounter caring for these children in Canada. This lack of research specifically on Black parents in Canada makes it difficult to identify their psychosocial needs and develop intervention programmes to address their unique challenges.
A two-phase qualitative exploratory design informed by a community engagement lens will be used.
In Phase 1, five focus groups (n = 48) and 6–8 in depth interviews will be conducted with Black parents of preterm infants. Questions will explore experiences in the NICU, transition home, access to support, coping strategies and mental well-being. One focus group will be conducted with the parent advisory council of the Canadian Premature Babies Foundation, our community partner to explore gaps in services. The data from Phase 1 will be analysed and findings will be used to informed Phase 2 concept mapping exercise. This research was approved by the Toronto Metropolitan University Research Ethics Board.
There is a paucity of research addressing the experiences and needs of Black parents with preterm infants. Thus, this study is well positioned to generate the much-needed Canadian empirical knowledge on the unique experiences and stressors face by Black parents with preterm infants and inform the design of programmes and services to better support them.
This study is in collaboration with the Canadian Premature Babies Foundation, our community partner.
To achieve a deeper understanding of the results of a primary randomised controlled trial to clarify the potential effective mechanisms and barriers of a peer-mentor intervention.
Mixed methods process-outcome evaluation of the intervention.
Qualitative and quantitative data were collected during the intervention in a during-trial set-up, that is, a convergent design.
The qualitative and quantitative findings mostly confirmed and expanded each other, identifying several mechanisms that facilitate the effectiveness of peer-mentor support during cardiac rehabilitation, such as mentors' experience-based knowledge and motivation. However, barriers related to lifestyle changes among older, vulnerable patients (e.g., mentee concerns about heart-healthy diets) and psychological outcomes (e.g., mentees' resilience) may minimise the effectiveness.
Peer-mentoring holds potential for supporting older, vulnerable patients during cardiac rehabilitation. However, ensuring that peer-mentors are well-suited for their role and capable of providing motivational, experience-based support is crucial, as is the need for tailored mentorship and consideration of specific patient populations needing mentor-supported cardiac rehabilitation.
Cardiac rehabilitation faces challenges due to high drop-out rates, particularly among older individuals, females, and vulnerable patients. Peer mentoring, a low-cost intervention, holds promise for supporting these groups in cardiac rehabilitation programmes.
The study adheres to the ‘Systematic Development of Standards for Mixed Methods Reporting in Rehabilitation Health Sciences Research’, ‘Good Reporting of A Mixed Methods Study’ and ‘Template for Intervention Description and Replication’.
A group of patients with cardiovascular disease actively contributed to developing and implementing the intervention.
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04945486—prospectively registered before the first participant was recruited
The study aims to explore the experiences of Black Canadian parents following a preterm birth and their perspectives of being in the NICU.
A qualitative design guided by principles of community engagement was used to explore the experiences of Black Canadian parents.
Focus groups and in-depth interviews were conducted with 40 Black parents of preterm infants. A thematic analysis approach was used to organize the data into meaningful themes.
Five major themes were identified through the data analysis: encountering racism and discrimination in the NICU, bearing the emotional weight of staying in the NICU, enduring the feeling of bodily betrayal and guilt, grappling with the turmoil of uncertainty and seeking peer and mental health support programs.
This study provides in-depth understanding of the unique experiences of Black Canadian parents after a preterm birth and the challenges they face navigating the NICU.
Developing a targeted training program for health care providers is critical to address racism and discriminatory practices and enhance parents' sense of belonging in the NICU. Creating Black-focused peer support and accessible mental health care during and after the NICU is critical to address the gaps in programs and services and to promote effective coping.
Addressing racism and discriminatory practice requires urgent attention to promote equity within the NICU environment. Scaling up access to Black peer support and mental health programs will contribute to improving parental wellbeing in Canada and beyond.
This study was in partnership with the Canadian Premature Babies Foundation, our community collaborator.
To summarise the effect of mentoring within mentoring programmes on the retention and turnover of newly graduated nurses in healthcare settings.
An umbrella review.
Two independent reviewers screened the titles, abstracts and full texts for eligibility and critically appraised the included reviews using the JBI critical appraisal. The findings were tabulated and synthesised.
The search was conducted in five electronic databases (CINAHL, OvidMedline, ProQuest, Scopus, Cochrane and Medic) in November 2023.
Out of 450 Papers, 13 systematic and integrative reviews were included. Thirteen mentoring programmes were identified and categorised into three groups based on their content: didactic mentoring programmes, interaction-based mentoring programmes and combined mentoring programmes. Across these programme types, retention among newly graduated nurses ranged from 72% to 100% at the 1-year mark and 70% to 98% at 2 years. Turnover rates showed consistent reductions, with post-intervention rates ranging from 3.5% to 20% compared to pre-intervention rates of up to 50%. Several studies reported statistically significant improvements in retention and turnover, particularly in programmes integrating structured education and preceptorship models.
Several different mentoring programmes have been developed to support the transition of newly graduated nurses. Mentoring programmes that provide ongoing support and structured guidance increase retention and reduce turnover among newly graduated nurses.
Effective mentoring programmes are key to ensuring high-quality patient care and a sufficient supply of qualified nurses in the future.
The findings can provide information for developing transition support and mentoring programmes for newly graduated nurses.
This umbrella review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement.
No patient or public contribution.
The umbrella review protocol was registered in PROSPERO: CRD42023478044.
FreshRSS 