Friday, 20 July 2018: 11:45 AM
Our nursing profession is in crisis with increased reports of job dissatisfaction, burnout and lateral violence in health care systems (Spence Laschinger & Fida, 2015). These are symptoms of nurses being in “wrong relationship” with self and others as they navigate this every changing and complex health care environment. Caring mentoring experiences in which nurses learn and are supported to care for self and each other with loving-kindness potentiate the transformation from caustic relationships to healing human-to-human connectedness. Informed by all ways of knowing, a mentoring partnership requires two people to have intentional presence, engage in authentic listening and a conscious commitment to develop and sustain a helping-trusting relationship that addresses issues ranging from basic needs of survival to mysterious, spiritual dimensions of life. The main goal of a caring mentorship between two nurses is not clinical problem-solving or teaching specific skills, but focuses on the wholeness of being and becoming a nurse within the context of one’s life’s journey and discoveries (Wagner & Seymour, 2007). Mentoring is an essential component of nursing professional development and succession planning at all levels of the organization; and at its heart is the multidimensional transpersonal relationship that transforms the personal and professional growth of both mentor and mentee (Grossman, 2013; Wagner & Seymour, 2007). This presentation explores the concept of mentoring in nursing based on Watson caring science philosophy and 10 caritas processes (Sitzman & Watson, 2013). The presentation outlines the collaboration of our Nursing Professional Development Specialist (NPDS) and the Wisdom Council to re-design the existing mentoring program to include mentoring at all levels of nursing from nurse executives to direct care nurses. Using a PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) process, the work group designed and implemented a 24-month caring science based nurse mentoring program that meets the personal and professional development needs of our nurses (Nursing, 2012). The redesigned nurse mentoring program includes a comprehensive application process, mentor/mentee match criteria process based on core competencies of nursing practice and leadership, mutual agreements forms and tools to mentor/mentee/manager, pre/post assessments, program evaluations, a mentor award nomination form, an art & science of mentoring workshop, ongoing participant support and comprehensive program management and coordination by NPDS. Program outcomes measures include workshop participant satisfaction (69 percent of participants were extremely satisfied), formal nurse mentorship program participation satisfaction (67 percent of participants were extremely satisfied and 33 percent moderately satisfied), increased participation in professional development and leadership activities (100 percent of participants rated the formal nurse mentorship program moderately to extremely effective to the success of achieving the mentee goals), and 83 percent of participants will highly recommend the program to their colleagues. Presenters will provide key knowledge, skills, and tools to design, implement and manage a successful caring nurse mentoring program for all levels.