Paper
Friday, July 13, 2007
This presentation is part of : Nursing Education Strategies
Perspective Transformation of Registered Nurse Mentors and BScN Student Mentees: First Year Study Outcomes
Mary-Anne Andrusyszyn, RN, BScN, MScN, EdD1, Carroll Iwasiw, RN, BN, MScN, EdD2, Mickey Kerr, PhD3, Dolly Goldenberg, RN, MA, MScN, PhD1, Barbara Sinclair, RN, BScN, MScN1, Cathy Parsons4, Cathy Mawdsley, RN, BScN, MScN5, Kristen Lethbridge, RN, BScN, MScN1, Richard Booth, RN, BScN1, Charlene Beynon, RN, BScN, MScN6, Andrew Thomas Reyes, RN, MScN3, and Judy McKale-Waring, RN, BScN, MEd7. (1) Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Nursing, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada, (2) School of Nursing, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada, (3) School of Nursing, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada, (4) St. Joseph's Health Care London, London, ON, Canada, (5) Critical Care, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON, Canada, (6) Professional Health Research and Education Department, Middlesex-London Health Unit, London, ON, Canada, (7) Nursing Division, Fanshawe College, London, ON, Canada
Learning Objective #1: Consider how perspectives of registered nurses and first year BScN students change as an outcome of a mentoring relationship.
Learning Objective #2: Reflect on the value of a mentoring relationship for both registered nurses and first year BScN students.

The purpose of this study was to examine how randomly paired RNs’ and first year BScN students’ perspectives about nursing practice, the profession, and themselves changed as an outcome of a mentoring relationship. Mezirow’s (1990; 1991) Theory of Perspective Transformation was one of two theories that grounded this study. According to Mezirow (1991; 1994), perspective transformation begins when we encounter experiences that do not fit our existing meaning schemes.  The process of perspective transformation takes place when individuals engage in self-reflection (Daley, 1997), and gain new insights about experiences. In this SSHRC*-funded study, we anticipated that the synergy of the mentoring relationship would lead to changed perspectives in students and nurses about nursing practice, the profession, and themselves. Registered nurses (n=108) and students (n=104) were recruited and randomly assigned to intervention (mentor n=53; mentee n=52) and control (mentor n= 55; mentee n=48) groups.  Nurses and students in the intervention group were randomly paired and are participating in a mentoring relationship during the 2006-2007 academic year.  All participants completed web-based pre-test questionnaires in September 2006.  The intervention group will complete mid-point questionnaires and all participants will complete post-test questionnaires in April 2007.  Data are being analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

In this presentation, researchers will share the analysis of pre,-mid-, and post-test data obtained from mentor and mentee intervention and control groups with respect to reflection and perspective transformation.  These findings will be of value to nurse educators who are interested in learning how a formal mentorship program for BScN students influenced nurses' and students' perspectives.

*SSHRC:  Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada