Driving Organizational Change From the Bedside: The AACN Clinical Scene Investigator Academy

Facilitated engagement approach: A novel approach to guide mentor conversations

BACKGROUND

Mentorship has been recognized as a strategy to develop leadership competencies in clinical leaders and has been integrated into leadership programs. However, there are few published frameworks to guide mentor conversations with mentees training to assume nursing leadership roles.

OBJECTIVE

This study explores mentors' perceptions of 6-month mentorship, a component of the Strengths-Based Nursing Leadership program, the effectiveness of the Facilitated Engagement Approach, a pedagogical strategy developed to facilitate conversation between the mentor and mentee, and the impact of mentorship on leadership practice of mentees.

METHODS

A mixed method qualitative and quantitative approach was used with semi-structured interviews and bi-weekly survey among mentors. Data were thematically analyzed.

RESULTS

Mentors described the use of the Facilitated Engagement Approach to guide their mentorship conversations and found it to be effective in mentoring program participants. Mentors described techniques used and the process of deepening a reflective mentorship conversation. The Spiraling Process (58 %) and the Story Sharing Process (74 %) were integral aspects of the Facilitated Engagement Approach used. Mentorship was found to be impactful in that mentors reported a change in their mentee.

CONCLUSIONS

The Facilitated Engagement Approach was an effective tool for mentees and mentors to develop leadership capacities.

Nurses' clinical leadership in the intensive care unit: A scoping review

OBJECTIVE

To explore the existing knowledge in the literature about nurses' clinical leadership in the intensive care unit.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted according to Arksey & O'Malley's methodology. The search process encompassed five main online databases, PubMed (including MEDLINE), CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus and Cochrane, for the period January 2007-September 2022. Data abstraction, quality appraisal and narrative synthesis were conducted in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines.

RESULTS

Eleven studies were included. The evidence reveals that idealised influence, motivational inspiration, intellectual stimulation and intrinsic individual consideration are the key clinical nurse leader competencies needed in the intensive care unit. The compatible leadership styles in this setting are situational and transformational. Communication skills and professional experience seem to be determinants to consider in the strategies to promote clinical leadership in intensive care units.

CONCLUSIONS

This scoping review provides broad and comprehensive knowledge, which helps to understand, in a single study, the key competencies, leadership styles, determinants and strategies needed to promote intensive care unit nurses' clinical leadership.

Preparing Mentors: A Review of the Literature

The purpose of this literature review is to evaluate the preparation provided to nurse mentors. The nine studies reviewed revealed four themes related to preparation of nurse mentors. Nursing professional development practitioners should use current literature to develop nurse mentor preparation tools to improve the outcomes of the nursing mentor-mentee relationship and impact patient care.

Alternative Approaches to Mentoring

TOPIC

Various approaches facilitate mentoring for critical care nurses.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Mentoring is an important strategy to help recruit, retain, and develop nurses with critical care expertise. Mentoring benefits nurses at all career stages, from novice to expert. Effective mentoring programs benefit not only mentors and mentees but also organizations and patients by ensuring adequate numbers of nurses with critical care knowledge and skills.

PURPOSE

Mentoring programs require careful planning to ensure that the objectives of the program align with the needs of the target audience, and that adequate resources are available to support the mentor-mentee relationship. This article identifies opportunities for mentoring in critical care nursing and provides recommendations from the literature for developing an effective program.

CONTENT COVERED

Various objectives for mentoring programs are described, including supporting retention, providing clinical development, and planning succession. Program logistics are explored, such as selecting mentors, matching mentors with mentees, setting goals and expectations, and evaluating the program. In addition, the article identifies strategies for overcoming common barriers to mentoring, which include a lack of time and poor access to qualified mentors.