Paper
Monday, November 5, 2007
452
Development & Implementation of the FAANP Mentoring Program
Mary Jo Goolsby, EdD, MSN, APRN-C, FAANP, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, Austin, TX, USA and Laurie Kennedy-Malone, PhD, APRN, BC, School of Nursing, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA.
| Learning Objective #1: Describe the development of a formalized mentoring program created to contribute to the development of practicing NPs. |
| Learning Objective #2: Describe examples of potential outcomes associated with a formalized NP mentorship program. |
Background: The Fellows of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (FAANP) program was established by AANP in 2000 to recognize NP leaders who have made outstanding contributions to health care through NP clinical practice, research, education or policy and to extend and enhance such efforts. Priority FAANP initiatives include the development of leadership and mentorship programs for NPs and NP students.
Process: In 2003, several AANP conference attendees requested a formalized mentoring program for NPs wishing to develop leadership in various areas. They agreed that a formalized mentorship would be helpful and provided several ideas including establishing a network of mentors, matching mentor/mentee pairs, developing mentoring guidelines, and providing mentor development programs. During the 2004 AANP Conference, a workshop on mentoring was presented and a committee to develop the FAANP Mentoring Program was appointed. The committee included NPs who had served as mentors through the STTI Chiron or other programs, as well as a member who had conducted research on mentoring.
Drawing on prior experiences, research, and literature, the committee planned a one-year program to match volunteer FAANP-member mentors with applicant AANP-member mentees. With full support of both AANP and FAANP, applications were accepted in early 2006 and the initial eight "dyads" were selected for the mentorship to begin June 2006.
The presentation will review the planning and implementation process, including lessons learned; outcomes of the first cohort; and the progress of the second cohort.
Implications: Mentoring presents an opportunity through which NP leaders can contribute to the professional growth of other NPs, while strengthening their own abilities. The FAANP Mentorship has provided an avenue through which mentors have shared their knowledge, experience, professional networks, and talents with others, with exciting outcomes. This presentation will outline one example of how similar programs can be implemented to encourage mentorship relationships.