AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Individuals with spinal cord injury/disease are faced with a myriad of psychosocial adjustment challenges. This article describes the implementation of a peer-mentoring programme designed to support this adjustment process for people with SCI/disease and the programme's believed impact on self-efficacy and prevention of medical complications. BACKGROUND: With shorter length of stay in acute inpatient rehabilitation after spinal cord injury/disease, peer mentor programmes are becoming an important component to assist with education and community re-integration. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental non-controlled pretest/post-test. METHOD: Patients with newly acquired spinal cord injury/disease participated in a one-year spinal cord injury peer-mentoring programme. Peer mentors met with their assigned participants regularly during inpatient care and on discharge to track medical complications and assist with adjusting to life after spinal cord injury/disease. RESULTS: In all, of 37 mentees enrolled, 24 successfully completed the programme. Sixty-seven per cent showed improved self-efficacy score between the two time points. Medical complications and doctor visits all decreased significantly between 0-6 months and 7-12 months. Our findings indicate that the older an individual is, the lower the likelihood of having a urinary tract infection (p = 0.006). The programme was well received by all mentees who felt they could connect well with their peer mentor. CONCLUSION: Peer mentoring in a rehabilitation setting enhances the understanding of challenges that patients and medical staff deal with on a day-to-day basis. Our findings suggest it is important to monitor and educate individuals with spinal cord injury/disease at the acute stage to improve medical outcomes. Caution is advised in the interpretation of these results as they were obtained in a small non-random sample using self-report data. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Peer mentors play an increasingly important role in nurse-delivered education in the spinal cord injury/disease population.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Individuals with spinal cord injury/disease are faced with a myriad of psychosocial adjustment challenges. This article describes the implementation of a peer-mentoring programme designed to support this adjustment process for people with SCI/disease and the programme's believed impact on self-efficacy and prevention of medical complications. BACKGROUND: With shorter length of stay in acute inpatient rehabilitation after spinal cord injury/disease, peer mentor programmes are becoming an important component to assist with education and community re-integration. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental non-controlled pretest/post-test. METHOD:Patients with newly acquired spinal cord injury/disease participated in a one-year spinal cord injury peer-mentoring programme. Peer mentors met with their assigned participants regularly during inpatient care and on discharge to track medical complications and assist with adjusting to life after spinal cord injury/disease. RESULTS: In all, of 37 mentees enrolled, 24 successfully completed the programme. Sixty-seven per cent showed improved self-efficacy score between the two time points. Medical complications and doctor visits all decreased significantly between 0-6 months and 7-12 months. Our findings indicate that the older an individual is, the lower the likelihood of having a urinary tract infection (p = 0.006). The programme was well received by all mentees who felt they could connect well with their peer mentor. CONCLUSION: Peer mentoring in a rehabilitation setting enhances the understanding of challenges that patients and medical staff deal with on a day-to-day basis. Our findings suggest it is important to monitor and educate individuals with spinal cord injury/disease at the acute stage to improve medical outcomes. Caution is advised in the interpretation of these results as they were obtained in a small non-random sample using self-report data. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Peer mentors play an increasingly important role in nurse-delivered education in the spinal cord injury/disease population.
Authors: Stephanie L Silveira; Tracey A Ledoux; Craig A Johnston; Claire Kalpakjian; Daniel P O'Connor; Michael Cottingham; Ryan McGrath; Denise Tate Journal: Disabil Health J Date: 2019-09-20 Impact factor: 2.554
Authors: Amanda McIntyre; Stephanie L Marrocco; Samantha A McRae; Lindsay Sleeth; Sander Hitzig; Susan Jaglal; Gary Linassi; Sarah Munce; Dalton L Wolfe Journal: Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil Date: 2020