Family mentoring: a life experience.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a preservice education family mentor experience on the development of family-centered attitudes expressed by 84 nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and social work students from a private Midwestern university. The instrument, Issues in Early Intervention, was administered to students before and after participation in a field experience that included a minimum of 8 hours with assigned families. The instrument measured changes in attitude regarding family-centered care expressed by students in response to 24 statements reflective of family-centered concepts and approaches. A Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to analyze data from pretests and posttests using the Issues in Early Intervention instrument. Eight items reflected significant positive changes in family-centered attitudes. When total scores were examined using a paired t-test, students demonstrated a significant increase (p < or = 0.001) in family centered attitudes after the family mentor experience according to the instrument. The family mentor experience evaluation of outcome objectives was administered to students at the conclusion of the project. Results from student feedback on the family mentor experience evaluation of experience outcomes also indicated a positive impact in family-centered attitudes as a result of the family mentor experience.