Priya Jain
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital
Purpose: Health professions educators have begun shifting their views of feedback from one-directional giving of information to bi-directional dialogue that also incorporates how learners receive and process that information. This shift foregrounds the role of educational alliances. This study explores how longitudinal relationships between trainees and faculty coaches influence feedback processes and what factors help or hinder these relationships and processes.
Methods: The authors used constructivist grounded theory methodology and performed semi-structured interviews of pediatric fellowship trainees, faculty coaches and program directors from two pediatric subspecialty fellowship training programs. Both programs had previously implemented longitudinal Clinical Coaching Programs. Interviews were conducted between 2019 and 2020.
Results: The authors identified significant positive influences of effective longitudinal relationships between faculty coaches and trainees. These influences shaped both enactments of the coaching role and feedback processes that fostered their success in key ways, A primary success factor was reflected in the individualized tailoring of feedback and coaching processes based on a growth mindset, trainee feedback preferences, and knowledge of prior coaching conversations. In addition, multiple factors hindered successful coaching relationships. These barriers included (a) inadequate preparation for coaching conversations, (b) lack of specific feedback provided by the coach, and (c) coaches’ failure to encourage trainees to develop individualized improvement goals.
Conclusions: Simply providing feedback to trainees no longer suffices in today’s health professions education landscape. Feedback processes embedded within coaching programs enable faculty coaches to develop strong longitudinal relationships with trainees and to implement individualized coaching techniques. These growth-oriented educational alliances support trainees in fundamental ways, namely in processing feedback and guiding development of personalized learning goals. Clinical training programs can help their trainees foster invaluable skills that promote life-long learning and continuous self-improvement.
