Mentoring and Mentorship for Nurses

As we reach the other side of a two year hiatus of face-to-face educational activities, it is time to take stock and evaluate our progress and lessons learnt during the Covid-19 pandemic. Traditional educational activities such as lectures, conferences, workshops and study days were rapidly halted during the pandemic. The result of this led to a boom in online teaching and learning experiences. As identified by Catherine, this boom has also resulted in an increase in mentorship programs. Mentoring has a long history, as early as Ancient Greece to the 1970’s where there was an uptake of mentoring in the training context. The effectiveness of modern mentoring programs for nurses are now well published in literature and mentoring programs for nurses are growing in prominence.

Unlike traditional learning, be it in-class or during conferences, mentoring is a two-way activity that includes two participants; one being the mentor and the other being the mentee. The mentorship partnership should be focused on supporting, guiding, and advising the less experienced mentee and supporting their personal development. Goals are achieved by listening, sharing experiences, reflection and developing insight. Mentoring is mentee driven, with the mentee supported to take action towards the achievement of self-driven goals.

Mentoring programs in the setting of neuroscience nursing have the potential to strengthen the nursing workforce in a sustainable manner. Engagement with a mentor can help mentees shape their career and navigate the challenges faced during a nursing career. There are meaningful rewards for both the mentor and the mentee, with mentors giving back to the profession and supporting career development while mentees gain knowledge, are introduced to new ways of thinking, build confidence and upskill to achieve their goals. As an example, one goal might be to publish one's work. Within this context a mentee can have the support to forge ahead, with a mentor helping to negotiate roadblocks and challenges faced during the conception, drafting and finalising of a manuscript ready for submission. Regular mentor/mentee meetings can provide a forum where there is regular guidance and feedback, keeping the mentee's accountable for progressing work and meeting deadlines.

The relationship between the nurse mentee and the experienced nurse mentor is empowering. Areas of academic and clinical practice can be enriched through the nurturing and development of nurse mentees. The development and success of the Australasian Neuroscience Nurses Association (ANNA) led mentorship program has resulted in growth within the organisation as well as within the workplace of the mentees. There are a myriad of benefits that result from well matched and successful nurse mentoring relationships. Benefits include job retention, advancement and promotion, improved morale and improved productivity. Nurse mentoring is important for the growth and development of the next generation of nurse mentors.