In my PhD thesis, I constantly recommend that research and scholarship should apply to the development of innovative strategies to support nurse academics improving productivity and retention (Jayasekara, 2008). My recent systematic review identified that the early introduction of mentorship resulted in increased confidence, workplace socialisation and professional development (Jayasekara et al., 2018). As a novice lecturer in nursing at the University of South Australia, I have been given an excellent working environment, in particular, providing two mentors for improving my teaching and research (2010-2013) and I have found working with them was very rewarding. In recent years I have increasingly mentored and co-authored with less experienced colleagues to encourage them to develop their publication records and experience through two systematic review projects. It is evident that contemporary nurse academics should continually seek and update new knowledge and skills to strive for excellence in teaching and research (Hafsteinsdottir, van der Zwaag, & Schuurmans, 2017; Jayasekara, 2008; Kunaviktikul, Turale, & Stone, 2018). To this end, I was selected for the 2018-2019 cohort of the Emerging Educational Administrator Institute (EEAI) of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing in the USA (EEAI, 2018a). The purpose of this study was to explore my experience as a Sigma leadership mentor in guiding an international leadership scholar to plan and develop the first Master of Nursing program in Sri Lanka using mentored-leadership experience program utilising the Triad Model.
Method
EEAI offers an 18-month mentored-leadership experience program utilising the Triad Model (EEAI, 2018b). The Triad Model consists of the Leadership Scholar, Leadership Mentor, and Faculty Advisor working collaboratively to plan, implement, and lead a leadership research project. In addition, this program includes online learning activities, two face-to-face workshops, monthly teleconferences, webinar, and a final project presentation. I was selected as the Leadership Mentor for the program with a Faculty Advisor from a USA university, to facilitate the leadership research project of the Leadership Scholar from Sri Lanka.
Discussion
During the last ten months, I learnt that the mentors should not be judgmental or critical; instead, they develop relationships that create a trusting environment for instructional improvement. It is learnt that the scholar (mentee) has engaged deeply in professional learning to explore common challenges and issues, and subsequently develop trust, and professional friendship. The effective relationship building between mentor and mentee will assist both parties to see future development needs enabling them to achieve the desired professional goals. This study explores three major themes; trust, professional relationship, and lifelong learning which defined productive mentoring relationships.
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