Alternative Approaches to Mentoring

Impact of a Structured Nurse Mentoring Program on Organizational Engagement

Nursing leadership identified a significant decrease in measured nursing engagement at the 3- to 5-year tenure. Mentoring was chosen as an effective intervention to increase engagement and promote professional development in this Proficient-Expert group of nurses. The benefits of the implemented structured mentoring program include increased organizational engagement, increased perception of well-being support, and increased mentor competency.

The Need for Organisational Structure and Leadership Support: A Qualitative Study on Nurse Mentors' Perspectives on the Prerequisites for Effective Mentoring

BACKGROUND

Research consistently underscores the importance of mentoring and a supportive work environment for nurse retention and well-being. Previous research on nurse mentoring has primarily focused on mentees' perspectives. Research is scarce on the prerequisites for mentoring from the perspective of mentors-experienced registered nurses who guide and support their new colleagues, mentees.

AIM

To explore nurse mentors' perspectives on the prerequisites for mentoring, following their participation in a mentoring intervention.

DESIGN

Qualitative study design with an inductive approach using focus group interviews as a data collection method.

METHODS

A total of 19 experienced registered nurses, appointed as mentors, were interviewed in four focus groups and one individual interview, in May and June 2022, following the conclusion of the intervention period. Focus groups consisted of three to six participants. The transcribed interview data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

The main theme identified in the results was that mentors needed organisational structure and leaders' support to facilitate the mentoring process. Participants underscored the necessity of a comprehensive support system that spans the entire mentoring process, as described in three themes: creating foundations for mentoring; navigating mentoring challenges in everyday work routines; and post-mentoring reflection and learning.

CONCLUSIONS

This study underscores the importance of integrating mentoring into daily healthcare routines by addressing barriers and facilitators, such as organisational structure and support from first line leaders. Key results highlight the need for pre- and post-mentoring phases to create a sustainable, continuous learning process. Further research should focus on developing sustainable frameworks for implementing mentoring.

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION

Policies should explicitly support the dual role of experienced registered nurses as both caregivers and mentors, acknowledging the demands on their time and responsibilities. Policymakers should integrate mentoring frameworks into nursing roles. This could play a critical role in stabilising the work environment.

IMPACT

What problem did the study address? Mentoring plays a critical role in helping newly qualified nurses transition into their professional roles, contributing to their retention and overall well-being. Although there is limited research on mentoring from the perspective of mentors. What were the main findings? Mentors needed organisational structure and leaders' support to facilitate the mentoring process. We identified that mentoring structures should include clear responsibilities, pre-mentoring preparation and post-mentoring reflections to ensure full implementation of the mentoring process. Where and on whom will the research have an impact? The findings of this study can support organisations in creating sustainable mentoring structures for registered nurses, in which both mentors and mentees collaborate within a community of practice. The mentoring findings can also be applicable to other contexts and professions.

REPORTING METHOD

Reporting of this study was guided by the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR).

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No patient or public contribution.

The Support, Education and Learning Needs of Experienced Nurses Who Are Transitioning to Work in Intensive Care: A Scoping Review

AIM

To ascertain the current evidence about the support, education and learning needs of experienced registered nurses who are transitioning their work to intensive care nursing as a new context.

DESIGN

A scoping review was conducted using established frameworks from JBI, Arksey and O'Malley.

METHODS

A search was conducted in CINHAL and MEDLINE (April 2023). Two researchers independently screened the records, extracted and cross-checked the data. The results were consolidated narratively in answer to the review questions. The PRISMA-ScR checklist was used to guide reporting.

RESULTS

Eight articles (seven research, one evaluation) were included. The data were widely heterogenous. Evidence pays more attention to education experiences and needs during transition than to mechanisms used informally to engender socialisation of experienced registered nurses into the intensive care team. Key education strategies include orientation, skill and knowledge development, self-directed learning, preceptorship and mentorship, situated clinical nurse education and expertise sharing from the wider intensive care team. Four papers related to the COVID-19 pandemic reported education related to patient surges; three papers described team or buddy nursing as an educational strategy. Several articles reported that learning needs and experiences evolve as transition occurs, and intensive care is a specialised learning environment where required skills and knowledge are domain specific. Reality shock can be encountered, education needs can be influenced by prior experience and social connection with and support from the team can make a difference.

CONCLUSION

This review has identified the current state of evidence regarding the support education and learning needs of experienced registered nurses who are transitioning to work in intensive care. The evidence is limited and very heterogeneous. Findings highlight several areas of evidence paucity and some basis for further research. Given the importance of this group to the intensive care workforce, it will be imperative to invest in future research.

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE

Attending to the specific learning and support needs of experienced registered nurses who are making transitions to work in intensive care may impact their experiences of transition shock and quality of learning and may make some differences to recruitment and retention of staff.

IMPACT

By consolidating the evidence, this scoping review highlights important support, education and learning needs of experienced nurses who are transitioning to intensive care. Insight arising from the review will assist experienced nurses, and those working in education and management, as they seek to engage with and support registered nurses who are making transitions to this context of work. There are genuine gaps in research evidence which will require the investment of nursing researchers internationally.

REPORTING METHOD

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyse extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR).

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No patient or public contribution.

Facility managers' experiences of mentorship in a district of Gauteng province, South Africa

Background

Mentoring is recommended as a method to assist nurses in developing their leadership roles. Support and mentorship of nursing managers can yield positive results for their organisations because of the leadership quality. The lack of mentorship programmes for newly appointed facility managers has an impact on the management of the facilities.

Aim

This study aims to explore and describe how facility managers experience mentorship at primary health care (PHC) facilities.

Setting

Participants were drawn from 11 different PHC facilities falling under the three sub-districts: Emfuleni, mid-Vaal and Lesedi.

Methods

A qualitative exploratory and descriptive research design was employed to achieve the study objectives. A non-probability purposive sampling method was used to select the facility managers from three sub-districts; a signed informed consent to participate in the study was obtained from each participant. A semi-structured interview guide was used to interview purposively selected facility managers. The interviews were audio recorded and subsequently transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed using the content analysis method. Rigour was ensured, and ethical principles measures were applied.

Results

Four themes emerged from the results: the experiences on mentorship, views on mentorship, barriers to mentorship and mentorship improvement strategies.

Conclusion

The study found that there was a lack of formal mentoring in the district, and there is a need for benchmarking and the development of a formal mentorship programme.

Contribution

The results could be useful in identifying gaps, making recommendations to nursing management and future research. They could further broaden insight into the mentoring needs of facility managers.

Best Practices for Promoting Safe Patient Care Delivery by Hospital-Based Traveling Clinical Staff: An Integrative Review

BACKGROUND

Hospitals use traveling clinical staff (TCS) to fill personnel shortages. Although this approach may help improve staffing ratios, it is not without risk.

PURPOSE

The interdisciplinary team conducted an integrative literature review to determine best practices for promoting safe patient care delivery by TCS.

METHODS

Using the Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice model, the authors performed an integrative literature review, including appraisal of quality, synthesis of themes, and best-evidence recommendations.

RESULTS

The final synthesis included 16 articles. Evidence demonstrated the importance of preemployment screening, standardized onboarding and orientation, and optimizing the integration of TCS into the work environment.

CONCLUSION

Hospitals should use these recommendations when incorporating TCS into their teams.

Exemplar or facilitator: An exploration of the lived experience of nurse mentors supporting the adaptation of internationally educated nurses

INTRODUCTION

Deficits in nursing workforces have led to major increases in overseas recruitment in many countries. Internationally educated nurses recruited within Ireland must complete an adaptation programme before they can practice nursing, a process contingent on the support from nurse mentors. However, it is becoming progressively difficult to identify nurses willing to act as mentors, threatening viability of overseas nurse recruitment. This research set out to address this problem by exploring the lived experiences of nurse mentors during the adaptation programme.

METHODS

An interpretative phenomenological analysis research design was utilised to explore the experiences of nurse mentors. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a maximum variance sample of 11 nurse mentors. The data were subjected to an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) sequential analytical approach yielding integrative themes.

RESULTS

The lived experiences of participants coalesced into three conceptual themes, mentor identity, sustainability, and learner socialisation. Participants who self-identified as 'mentor exemplars' expressed more negative perceptions of the role when compared with nurses who positioned themselves as 'mentor facilitators'. Nurse mentors were challenged by the complexities of intercultural dissonance and insufficient time and training for their mentoring role because of the pressures of clinical service.

CONCLUSION

Although mentorship is essential for the integration of internationally educated nurses, the sustainability of the mentorship role is contingent on how it is supported through training and protected within busy clinical environments. Critically, nurse mentors need to learn how to conceptualise their role as one of facilitating the development of others rather than presenting themselves as exemplary role models.

Supporting new graduate nurses' transition to practice

ABSTRACT

How new graduate nurses are supported may determine whether or not they stay at the bedside. A strong preceptorship, mentoring, and support system can retain and grow this workforce. This article presents practical guidelines for experienced nurses when supporting colleagues new to clinical practice.

Mentoring the Wellbeing of Specialist Pediatric Palliative Care Medical and Nursing Trainees: The Quality of Care Collaborative Australia

BACKGROUND

The Quality of Care Collaborative Australia (QuoCCA), working across 6 tertiary centers throughout Australia, builds capability in the generalist and specialist pediatric palliative care (PPC) workforce, by providing education in metropolitan and regional areas. As part of the education and mentoring framework, Medical Fellows and Nurse Practitioner Candidates (trainees) were funded by QuoCCA at four tertiary hospitals throughout Australia.

OBJECTIVE

This study explores the perspectives and experiences of clinicians who had occupied the QuoCCA Medical Fellow and Nurse Practitioner trainee positions in the specialised area of PPC at Queensland Children's Hospital, Brisbane, to identify the ways in which they were supported and mentored to maintain their wellbeing and facilitate sustainable practice.

METHODS

Discovery Interview methodology was used to collect detailed experiences of 11 Medical Fellows and Nurse Practitioner candidates/trainees employed by QuoCCA from 2016 to 2022.

RESULTS

The trainees were mentored by their colleagues and team leaders to overcome challenges of learning a new service, getting to know the families and building their competence and confidence in providing care and being on call. Trainees experienced mentorship and role modelling of self-care and team care that promoted wellbeing and sustainable practice. Group supervision provided dedicated time for reflection as a team and development of individual and team wellbeing strategies. The trainees also found it rewarding to support clinicians in other hospitals and regional teams that cared for palliative patients. The trainee roles provided the opportunity to learn a new service and broaden career horizons as well as establish wellbeing practices that could be transferred to other areas.

CONCLUSION

Collegial interdisciplinary mentoring, with the team learning together and caring for each other along common goals, contributed immensely to the wellbeing of the trainees as they developed effective strategies to ensure their sustainability in caring for PPC patients and families.

Mentoring-as-Partnership: The Meaning of Mentoring Among Novice Nurse Faculty

BACKGROUND

Mentoring is recommended as a strategy to improve satisfaction and retention of novice nurse faculty to help address the current faculty shortage. However, the meaning of academic mentoring varies among faculty, which can detract from the development of effective mentoring relationships in academia. This article details the meaning of mentoring as characterized by novice nurse faculty.

METHOD

Semistructured interviews were conducted with novice nurse faculty (n = 21) who participated in a mentoring relationship with experienced colleagues. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes detailing the meaning of mentoring as described by the participants.

RESULTS

The thematic analysis revealed an overarching theme of mentoring-as-partnership and three subthemes: (a) authentic communication, (b) enriching support, and (c) sharing knowledge.

CONCLUSION

To strengthen mentoring relationships in academic nursing, focus should be placed on supporting mentoring partnerships marked by mutuality and clearly defined goals, roles, and responsibilities. [J Nurs Educ. 2023;62(2):83-88.].

Education and Mentoring of Specialist Pediatric Palliative Care Medical and Nursing Trainees: The Quality of Care Collaborative Australia

BACKGROUND

The Quality of Care Collaborative Australia (QuoCCA) builds capability in the generalist and specialist paediatric palliative care (PPC) workforce throughout Australia. It supports regional and community services to provide care close to families' homes, as well as building expertise in tertiary centers.

OBJECTIVE

Medical Fellows and Nurse Practitioner candidates (specialist trainees) were funded by QuoCCA at four tertiary hospitals throughout Australia supported by an education and mentoring framework. This study explored the activity and experiences of clinicians who had occupied these roles to evaluate their effectiveness to build PPC capability.

METHODS

Online surveys recorded the monthly activity of Medical Fellows, with a point in time check of knowledge, skills and confidence in 2019. Discovery Interview methodology was used to collect detailed experiences of 11 trainees employed between 2018 to 2022 in Queensland.

RESULTS

A combination of mentoring and formal and informal education, peer support and practical experience was valuable for trainees. They found the support of the whole interdisciplinary team advantageous to learning. Shadowing experienced team members gave them the opportunity to learn practical skills, especially regarding communication with families. Practicing clinical skills was beneficial, through being on call, attending home visits, supporting families, prescribing medications and developing treatment plans in collaboration with the team. The trainee experience was optimised through learning from families, personal reflection, involvement in research projects and delivering QuoCCA education.

CONCLUSION

The QuoCCA trainee roles for Medical Fellows and Nurse Practitioner candidates exhibit a valuable and effective education and mentorship framework that could be applied to other specialties. The service leadership and collaborative interdisciplinary team support various modes of education and mentoring. The roles not only develop the trainees' specialised PPC clinical skills, they also improve their general clinical practice, including communication, empathy and holistic care. A structured curriculum of education is recommended to protect these positive outcomes.