A Pilot Study of Mentoring of Baccalaureate Students by Registered Nurses: Process and Outcomes

Paper

Friday, 21 July 2006

This presentation is part of : Studies and Assessments of Student Nurses

Carroll L. Iwasiw, RN, BN, MScN, EdD, Mary-Anne Andrusyszyn, RN, MScN, EdD, Dolly Goldenberg, RN, MA, MScN, PhD, and Barbara Sinclair, RN, BScN, MScN. Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Nursing, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada

Learning Objective #1: appraise the processes of mentoring relationships
Learning Objective #2: appreciate the benefits of a mentoring relationship for students and staff nurses

Mentoring has been demonstrated to be a valuable means to assist nurses during the transition into a new position, and it has been used as a means to promote success of at-risk students in academic programs. It seems reasonable, therefore, to propose that mentoring of students by registered nurses could enhance retention in nursing programs of academically successful students. Therefore, a pilot study of mentoring of first year baccalaureate students by registered nurses was undertaken to explore the dyadic mentoring relationship between randomly paired student/nurse participants over one academic year. Specifically, the nature and outcomes of the relationship and the feasibility of introducing a larger mentoring program were assessed in this exploratory, qualitative study. Following an orientation, dyad members established their own processes. Individual interviews of students and nurses were conducted in January, and separate focus group interviews with nurses and students were held in March/April to answer study questions. The nature of relationships ranged from “professional” to “friendly”, with variation in the frequency of contact. Outcomes for students included appreciation for contact with a nurse unconnected to the university, and development of new ideas about career possibilities. Outcomes for staff nurses included a sense of professional renewal and satisfaction with knowing that they are helping to shape the careers of future colleagues.

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