Mentorship in Nursing Education: The Benefits of Guiding and Being Guided

Nursing mentorship is a synergic relationship between the mentee (a beginning nurse) and the mentor (an experienced nurse). An experienced individual’s supportive and nurturing guidance can build mutual professional growth through a supportive relationship between the mentee and the mentor.

Starting your career as a nurse right after completing your studies can be a huge transition. Textbooks, case studies, nursing assignment solutions, and other academic resources can only prepare you to do well in the classroom or at your university. Establishing a successful career is a whole new ball game.

According to Leslie John of MyAssignmenthelp.co.uk, knowledge gained from writing a nursing paper can’t be easily defined in a real-life setting. It comes from trial and error and the lessons learned from mentors.

Mentorship in Nursing: The Significance

In college, a lot of students request online tutors: “Please help me to do my assignment.” Why? It could be for customized guidance with the tasks. A professional’s guidance helps them to overcome assignment hurdles and gain a clear understanding of the subject.

Similarly, there are several benefits of being a mentor and having one. For instance, if you are a mentor, you can guide and train less experienced nurses and play a pivotal role in their career development. Your constant support will allow the mentee to think differently and work on specific areas for professional development. Look at how mentoring benefits the mentee, the mentor, and the organization.

Impact of Mentoring on the Mentee

·         Gain career satisfaction

·         Receive professional support, guidance, and advice

·         Get insight into the special job-related roles

·         Build a broader professional network

·         Increase career development opportunities

·         Hone problem-solving skills

·         Reduce career-related stress

Impact of Mentoring on the Mentor

• Re-energize your passion for the field
• Gather clear feedback about the existing policies
• Obtain a new perspective on different trends
• Evaluation of the communication skills to determine its effectiveness
• Play a role model and develop another budding nurse’s career while improving your own
• Understand the differences in thoughts due to the generational gap
• Contribute towards building a positive work culture and train the next generation of nurses

Impact of Mentoring on the Organization

·         Improves nurse recruitment and retention

·         Shows support for continuous learning and nurtures future mentors

·         Conveys the organization’s will to welcome change

·         Offers succession planning for understanding a company’s history and goals

·         Promotes teamwork and contributes to high-quality outcome

·         Identifies and nurtures

Building an Effective Mentor-Mentee Relationship

Mutual trust and respect are two key elements of a successful mentor-mentee relationship. Whether formal or informal, setting clear goals and expectations is important to fulfill the primary purpose.

Where to Find a Nursing Mentor?

You can find experienced nurse mentors and novice mentees at professional networking sites like the American Nurses Association (ANA). ANA members can enroll as/or a mentor or mentee through the ANA Mentorship Program. You can also ask other nurses at your workplace for references, talk to your professor, or request someone working in a specialty related to your area. Regardless of your choice, make sure the mentor has strong communication skills, excellent rapport, patience, friendly, trustworthy, respectful, and clear insight into the special unit or your career path.

How to Become a Nurse Mentor?

Anyone who wishes to offer mentorship should have the following traits:

• Deep understanding of the healthcare principles
• Clear and polished communication skills
• Commendable problem-solving and decision-making skills
• Patience and empathy — one shouldn’t forget that they were once a novice nurse.

Conclusion

All nurses are expected to provide high-quality patient care, but one must understand that it’s a lifelong commitment. If you are a mentee, you must commit to learning and grow under the guidance of your mentor. Alternatively, if you are a mentor, you should be eager to teach and train novice nurses to grow and succeed in their careers. Remember, both mentors and mentees can reach their goals only with mutual respect and understanding.