Mentoring Toolkit-Website
Mentoring Toolkit-Website
Mentoring Toolkit-Website
TO SUCCESSFUL MENTORING
OSNA Breakthrough to
Nursing Director
MENTORING TOOLKIT: A
GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL
MENTORING
PURPOSE:
This toolkit is intended to serve as a guide to assist student
nurses to develop or revise mentorship programs on their
campus. This guide provides a step-by-step process that
students can follow to initiate a mentorship program. It
outlines considerations for setting up a mentorship program
including-benefits, roles and responsibilities and tips for
success.
MENTORING TOOLKIT: A
GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL
MENTORING
MENTORING AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE:
Nurses learn throughout their careers. They learn from written materials,
clients, educators, and they learn from each other. Novice nurses acquire
and perfect the competencies that are required to practice safely and
effectively from experienced nurses. Due to this well excepted education
practice, mentoring-type opportunities will come along at many times
during your professional career. Preceptorship is just one example of
experienced nurses providing guidance to novice nurses. Participating in
mentorship opportunities early on in your academic career will help to
increase the success of future mentoring partnerships by fostering the
skills necessary to engage in successful collaborative learning
relationships, such as preceptorship.
MENTORING TOOLKIT: A
GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL
MENTORING
Mentoring is a collaborative learning relationship between two
individuals with mutual goals and shared accountability for the
outcomes and success of the relationship. It can occur in all domains of
nursing practice, including nursing school.
Successful mentoring relationships are built on trust, openness to selfdisclosure, affirmation, and willingness and skill in giving and receiving
feedback. Mentoring provides a supportive environment and has been
shown to positively influence academic outcomes.
As a student nurse, mentoring partnerships can include:
Student to student (peer mentoring)
New grad to student
Experienced RN to student
MENTORING TOOLKIT: A
GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL
MENTORING
Mentoring can be a positive experience for both parties as it has been
shown to:
Develop supportive and encouraging relationships
Increase self-confidence in mentees
Enhance leadership skills in mentors
Assist mentees in setting priorities and establish school-life-work balance
Reduce stress/anxiety in mentees
Increase and improve networking capabilities
Increase professional, personal, and interpersonal growth in both parties
MENTORING TOOLKIT: A
GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL
MENTORING
STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL A PROGRAM:
1. Identify a dedicated coordinator
2. Match mentors and mentees
3. Hold orientation for mentors
4. Facilitate initial mentor/mentee meeting
5. Provide opportunities for collaboration
6. Monitor for success
MENTORING TOOLKIT: A
GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL
MENTORING
1. IDENTIFY A DEDICATED COORDINATOR
A coordinator will help to keep the program running smoothly, act as
an intermediate person if issues arise, and help to keep the
partnership strong by hosting events throughout the year. This
individual is also in the perfect situation to be responsible for pairing
up mentors and mentees.
*There is a significant time commitment in this role. Recruiting
others in your school to help with tasks can assist with easing the
burden.
MENTORING TOOLKIT: A
GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL
MENTORING
2. MATCH MENTORS AND MENTEES
.The mentoring process begins as the mentee is linked with a mentor
through the recommendations listed below. Providing a good fit between the
mentee and mentor is essential to the success of the relationship. A
successful relationship is even more beneficial when the individuals involved
correspond well with each other, understand their responsibilities, have a
mutual desire to build a relationship, realize they both have something to
offer and learn from the other, and both share the goal of excellence in the
nursing practice.
.Matching mentees with mentors may be based on; skills, expertise,
availability, learning/facilitation style and fit, experience, interpersonal skills
and behavior, professional and/or personal interest(s), personality,
accessibility, education background, gender, willingness/interest, and
compatibility. (*Sample templates for matching mentors with mentees are
available upon request)
MENTORING TOOLKIT: A
GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL
MENTORING
2. MATCH MENTORS AND MENTEES
.Ideal mentor qualifications and characteristics include:
.A commitment to the mission and goals of mentorship
.Strong interpersonal skills
.Exemplary leadership skills
.Exhibit exemplary/role model behavior
.Accountability living up to expectations and meeting deadlines
.Time/availability
.Personable and approachable attitude
.Patience
.Willing and able to give and receive feedback
.Ability to embrace diversity
MENTORING TOOLKIT: A
GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL
MENTORING
3. ORIENTATION
Next comes an orientation meeting which may include the
following:
. Overview of the mentoring program
. Roles and responsibilities for mentors
. Opportunity for questions and concerns
.You will also provide the mentors with contact information for their
respective mentees and indicate that each mentor and mentee
should meet within two weeks of being assigned.
. (*Sample templates for contact information is available upon
MENTORING TOOLKIT: A
GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL
MENTORING
4. INITIAL MENTOR/MENTEE MEETING
There are a few ways to facilitate this initial meeting. The
mentorship program coordinator can host an event where both
mentors and mentees attend, or the responsibility of initial contact
can be left up to the mentors.
If initiating contact is left up to the mentors there should be a time
requirement for the initial contact. Once contact has been made
through email or phone, a face-to-face meeting should be set up.
MENTORING TOOLKIT: A
GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL
MENTORING
5. PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION
.Hosting a few planned events throughout the year for both mentees and
mentors is a great way to increase participation and strengthen the
mentor/mentee bond.
.Examples of events:
. BBQs
. Study sessions/tutoring
. NCLEX study jams
. Community health projects
. Guest speaker events
MENTORING TOOLKIT: A
GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL
MENTORING
6. MONITOR FOR SUCCESS
.
.Once each mentor and mentee has been connected, the
coordinator's role will be to follow up with the partners to see that
they are meeting, the relationship is developing, and they are
following the roles and responsibilities set forth in orientation.
Initiate a no-fault termination of the relationship if it isnt working.
.(*Sample templates are available upon request for monitor
progress and address issues/concerns)
T H I S G U I D E W A S D E V E L O P E D B Y C O M B I N I N G A M U LT I T U D E O F I D E A S
F R O M M E N T O R I N G M O D E L S A C R O S S T H E N AT I O N I N C L U D I N G : T H E
AC A D E M Y O F M E D I C A L- S U R G I C A L N U R S E S ( A M S N ) M E N T O R S H I P P R O G RA M ,
T H E O H S U M O N M O U T H C A M P U S M E N T O R S H I P P R O G RA M , C A N A D I A N N U R S E
A S S O C I AT I O N - G U I D E T O P R E C E P T O R S H I P A N D M E N T O R I N G , A N D T H E
N U R S E M E N T O R S H I P P R O G R A M AT S TA N F O R D H E A LT H C A R E .