MENTORSHIP IN NURSING

Mentorship in Nursing

Mentorship in Nursing

Introduction

Many practice-based professions, including nursing, traditionally rely on clinical staff to support, supervise and teach students in practice settings. The underlying rationale is that by working alongside practitioners students will learn from experts in a safe, supportive and educationally adjusted environment. However, practice-based learning has not been entirely problem free.

Some of the early British research relating to the 'ward learning climate' and the 'role of the ward sister' has illustrated both the positive and negative aspects of learning in practice settings, especially in relation to the supervision of students. The majority of these 'classic' studies were undertaken prior to the inception in the United Kingdom (UK) of the Project 2000 nurse education reforms (Green, 2005).

The Nature of Mentoring

Mentoring occurs along a continuum, from formal mentoring at one end to informal mentoring at the other end. The distinguishing characteristics of a formal mentoring relationship describe the nature, purpose, duration, and quality of the contact (Foy, 2009). In a formal mentoring relationship, the mentor and protegé are typically assigned to work with each other, by a third person or group, in order to complete a specific purpose, training, or task. The mentor is clearly in charge and responsible for the work of the protegé. The mentor directs the activities without much expectation of a reciprocal relationship from the protegé. The relationship remains hierarchical, and the interactions formal (Earnshaw, 2005). Mentoring ends when the protegé has acquired the desired skills or accomplished the specific task. Because the contact is more formal, task-focused, and shorter in duration, mentors and protegés typically do not report much interpersonal support or relational progression.

In contrast, informal mentoring relationships focus less on specific behaviors or tasks of the mentor and protegé and more on the nature, quality, and process of interpersonal and professional relationship. Informal mentoring relationships are typically initiated by the protegé for the purpose of longer-term personal and professional development (Darling, 2004). The mentoring relationship is expected to last over time and may or may not have an explicit end. The relationship begins in a somewhat formalised and hierarchical manner and progresses through identifiable stages. In informal mentoring relationships, the mentor and protegé experience intensity within the relationship that provides for reciprocity, interpersonal regard, comprehensiveness, appreciation, and gratitude (Bracken, 2009).

Aspects of Mentorship

There are two aspects to mentor-ship: career and psychological. Each relationship is a little different and may encompass only one aspect, both or parts of the two. Mentors help their protégés find challenging assignments which will allow them to progress in their careers. Most mentors are in a position to know what type of assignments is right in terms of career and personal growth (Black, 2006). It should be made clear that Nursing leaders are not in the business of doling out the best jobs to a selected few and ensuring promotions for their protégés. The individual's employment performance and demonstrated potential as written up in the formal evaluation are the basis of the promotion, not the ...