Peer Mentoring: A Key to Success in Online Graduate Nursing Education

The rapid growth of distance education has led to more and more students seeking graduate education in an online venue. This influx of students, many of whom are new to online education, created a need for new strategies in developing a sense of community among students (Ouzts, 2006). At times, students do not see faculty or their cohort until graduation, and yet interacting with these individuals a major variable linked to students’ academic success.

Many institutions of higher learning focus heavily on the content requirements needed for successful completion of an online graduate nursing program. It is well evidenced among nursing literature that attention to content, pedagogy and evaluation of student attaining the desired outcomes within a program have been demonstrated (Oermann, DeGagne, & Phillips, 2018; Weber, Delaney, & Snow, 2016). However that is not all that is necessary for students’ successful progression through a graduate nursing program.

Social presence in online learning does much to support retention (Whiteside, Dikkers & Swan, 2017). While this dynamic can be accomplished through a variety of venues, peer mentoring is one means to achieve this outcome. It is noted that specific strategies linked to faculty mentoring students have merit (Rand & Pajarillo, 2015), yet some students have voiced concerns regarding the appearance of their abilities to faculty, may believe they are bothering faculty, etc. Such beliefs can have a negative influence on students taking full advantage of faculty mentoring. Thus, peer mentoring is a noteworthy endeavor to pursue (Academic Impressions, 2015).

Through peer mentoring both the mentor and mentee have much to gain. The mentor will receive guidance and support as she or he demonstrates leadership in addressing their mentee’s needs. Specifically, peer leaders will promote socialization, community connection, and lifelong learning. The mentor will receive training and guidance from the faculty sponsor (and others as appropriate) in a structured training. This training will provide insight into communication dynamics, development of leadership style, “joining” with the mentee, transitioning to and through graduate nursing education, and how to appropriately engage and address the needs of the mentee. Special population needs (E.G., English as another language, disabilities, generational dynamics, gender) will be included in the mentor training.

Research has shown mentoring creates a relationship that supports multiple aspects of student success. These include, but are not limited to, academic achievement, leadership skills development and student retention (Academic Impressions, 2015; Alcocer & Martinez, 2017). These relationships in turn can foster a positive connection within a program, the organization, profession and community (Birch & Ristevska, 2016).

This presentation will highlight best practices for a peer mentoring program developed for the online academic environment. Specific information for peer mentoring within graduate programs of nursing will be included. Action steps for development, recruiting and implementing a peer mentoring program will be included.