Methods: Mentors and mentees were matched from differing Global Regions. Mentors and mentees connected monthly using Skype or other technology. Participants interacted for one year via monthly calls to develop their leadership capacity and potential. Specific goals were that participants would be able to discuss leadership in their own context, describe their leadership activities, describe their leadership values, see the role of global leadership in building nursing science, describe the role of STTI in building leadership for nursing, and contribute to leadership initiatives locally and internationally. Resources in the online site on The Circle included articles and documents such as the UN Sustainable Development goals. Mentors were oriented prior to 2015 Biennial Convention and mentees recruited by mentors. Members of the community who were present met face-to-face at convention. Following the initiation of the community, there was an online orientation for mentees. Mentees had responsibilities to keep “Connection notes” and post these. Members completed surveys at the beginning of the year and will complete surveys at the end of the year.
Implementation: Mentees and mentors connected from January- December 2016. Mentoring relationships were adapted as needed to meet the needs and objectives of the community. Barriers included large differences in time zones and general workload and responsibilities making scheduling difficult. Several pairs were able to connect regularly in spite of these barriers and these reported excellent experiences. Topics for discussion ranged from personal leadership development of the mentee to global leadership opportunities known to mentors. Group calls for both groups revealed the need to work to overcome barriers and distance. Several strategies were implemented to engage participants in group discussions including shared articles on leadership, presentation and questions for a global nursing leader, and online discussion topics.
Evaluation: Evaluation of the experiences and leadership development are being done through online surveys and review of notes. Outcomes have include statements of personal growth, contributions to their STTI chapter, and others.