The Obstetric Nursing Mentorship Program at NYU Langone Medical Center was initiated to assist in the transition of newly hired staff into the professional role. The mentor-mentee relationship fosters an environment that reduces anxiety, promotes staff satisfaction, enhances clinical performance, and improves the quality of patient care.
Relevance/Significance (Why):
Conversations between the 25 newly hired staff and more senior nurses suggested a need for clinical coaching. Research indicates that teamwork between nurses is essential for best practices in the clinical setting. Novice nurses historically lack confidence, efficiency of time management, and competency in performing with high acuity. In order to facilitate the new hires’ transition into the professional RN role, research supports the strategy of mentoring.
Strategy and Implementation (How):
Staff nurses with four or more years of obstetric experience were encouraged to enlist as mentors. The mentees were given a list of the volunteering mentors, were asked to rank their top three choices, and matched accordingly. The purpose of ranking is to encourage a mentee to choose someone they feel comfortable with, who may or not have been a preceptor. Mentor-Mentee dyad interactions were promoted through professional formal and informal meetings and personal communication. A kick-off event including night and day shift was held to promote communication and a team-building environment. A handbook was developed to assist in the framework of the program and guide the mentorship pairs throughout the process.
Evaluation/Outcomes (So what):
As per mentee feedback via a pre-survey and Likert scale, the program was agreed to be beneficial in the areas of: work experience, support system, self-confidence, teamwork, knowledge and skills, and intra-professional communication. The pre-survey will be distributed in three month intervals, concluding at one year of participation.
Implications for Practice (And now):
Goals aim at enhancing team building, staff engagement, shared leadership, healthy work environment and professional development.