The Use of Mentoring in Nurse Training - Essay Example

The use of Mentoring in Nurse Training: An Analysis and Critique (Fill in with your information etc The use of Mentoring in Nurse Training: An Analysis and Critique The use of mentoring in the process of training nurses is of critical importance, especially in today's world. The workload left on nurses' shoulders has increased largely over the years, and now more than ever nurse leaders feel pressure from the demand. In order to gain a clearer and more understanding viewpoint on this subject matter, the following questions must be addressed: 1. What is mentoring 2. What are some general characteristics of the nursing occupation 3. How is mentoring used in the nursing occupation By discussing these three questions, we can come to critically more knowledgeable objective on this subject of interest. This is what will be dissertated in the following. What is Mentoring Mentoring "refers to a developmental relationship between a more experienced mentor and a less experienced partner referred to as a mentee or protg." ("Wikipedia", 2006). In the matter of different types of mentoring, there are two in particular: formal and informal. The formal type of mentoring relationship refers to assigned relationships, and are often associated with more organizational mentoring programs (such as at the workplace) designed to promote developmental skills. Informal relationships are more apt to develop on their own between partners. 'New-hire' mentoring refers to the situation which occurs when newcomers to an organization (protgs) are paired with more experienced people (mentors) in order to obtain information and advice. New-hire mentoring is a regular occurrence (in the workplace), and is used so frequently because of what a significant impact mentoring makes on the persons new to the particular organization. The use of mentoring saves time on supervisors and other management workers, while increasing the knowledge and skill of newcomers to the job. Mentoring can also be in the form of 'high-potential' mentoring, which is used to groom up-and-coming employees that are considered to have enough quality and potential to move up into leadership roles. This type of mentoring is especially useful, as the specific roles and duties which must be acted out are no better known than by the person occupying that position already. What are Some General Characteristics of the Nursing Occupation Nursing is an occupation which is a form of discipline, and is focused on the assisting and providing for individuals, families and communities across the world. Nurses help persons to attain, re-attain, and maintain optimal health and functioning. Nursing is an applied science which has a particularly unique body of knowledge that utilizes principles from the physical, biological, and behavioral sciences. "The central concern of nursing is the holistic person. The focus of nursing is health promotion, maintenance, curative, restorative, supportive and terminal care to individuals and groups of all ages, taking into consideration the factors that influence them in the total environment." ("Nursing", 2003). How is Mentoring Used in the Nursing Occupation The actual concept of mentoring in the nursing occupation has gained increasing importance over the years. Beyond role modeling, the act of mentoring implies a more experienced individual stepping up and taking an active role in the professional and personal development of a less experienced person. This exhibits not only skill and knowledge of the mentor, but understanding and comradery of both parties. The word mentor has become synonymous with trusted advisor, friend, teacher, and wise person. Mentoring in nursing is explored and used as a tool that can be used to foster the development of novice nurses. Mentoring is considered to be more than managing, coaching, or precepting; it is a relationship with a core and definitive value. Mentoring in nursing provides newcomers with academic and community support during their beginning times, the use of mentoring has been found to decrease stress and anxiety, and improve the confidence, self-esteem and motivation among the learners. The primary goal of mentoring is to pass knowledge onto the protgs and to aide the healthcare novice while they adjust to their new workplace, and to help them more thoroughly understand how to meet demands. Because of the extremely clinical nature of nursing, more experienced nurses (mentors) frequently supervise novice practitioners. Conversely to this, the novice practitioners will often times 'supervise' the mentors, for means of learning new methods and skills relative to their job requirements. The more experienced nurse still remains the mentor even in this situation, as they are showing understanding and shedding proficiency and wisdom onto their protgs. Twenty years ago and beyond that, nurse managers had more time to identify and mentor young nurses, namely because there were simply more of them to go around. In today's overpopulated world with more than enough patients to go around, the act of mentoring is becoming more and more difficult in that there are simply too many patients and too little time for much mentoring to be able to take place anymore. The criticalness of mentoring is known, but with a much higher ratio of patients than nurses, there is only so much which can be done to ease in this situation. There was a cost-cutting frenzy in the 1980s and early 1990s, which added to the already increasing elimination of middle management positions and education programs - therefore including mentoring. "At the same time, many nursing schools began switching to advance degree nurse practitioner programs and eliminating their administrative tracksMany became overwhelmed and frustrated, unable to find time to do their own jobs let alone mentor and groom someone else." (Domrose, 2004). Those who are new in the field of nursing have been found to truly appreciate the presence of a mentor, and are desperate for education, training and resources from these mentors. In fact some nursing coalitions and even some hospitals and health care organizations are responding to the cry for information and support from nurse leaders. In an effort to keep those who are publicly pleading for a regained status of mentorship in the nursing workplace, hospitals around the world are beginning to re-implement formal mentoring programs that pair first-year nurses and other new employees with hospital veterans. Some of the programs involved in this re-implementation use mentoring as part of an integrated new-nurse internship program, while others use carefully trained preceptors as mentors, and still others keep the roles purposely separate. "Some programs started by focusing on nurses fresh out of school, but many have expanded to include all new employees, including nurses who are returning after being away and nurses who have worked in other hospitals." (Domrose, 2002). As Katherine Vestal, Ph.D., RN, president of Work Innovations Inc. a health care consulting group, says: ""The one thing about mentoring in nursing is that it is so complex." "In some places, 40 percent to 50 percent of all new grads leave within a year, and that's costly to management and disheartening for the new grad," said Cecelia Gatson Grindel, Ph.D., RN, associate director for the undergraduate program at Georgia State University in Atlanta and a founding member of the Academy of Medical-Surgical nurses. It is considered that "whether it occurs formally in a classroom or seminar, or informally over a cup of coffee, mentoring enriches both the senior staffer and the healthcare novice." (Sigma Theta Tau International, 2006). The use of mentoring is of critical importance in the field of nursing, and no one understands that more of course than the nurses themselves. Having a more experienced learner there to show them the ropes, to pass down knowledge, to let them know how they are coming along, and to tell them of their mistakes and show them how to fix their errors - mentoring is a crucial part of any occupation. As Cindy Balkstra, RN, C, MS, a pulmonary clinical nurse specialist at St. Joseph's /Candler Health System in Savannah, Georgia, says: "There are enough role models out there, but I don't think people see how important it is." Balkstra truly understands the importance of having a mentor, as she herself had her very own, Dr. Marianne Matzo. Balkstra believes that mentoring is rather simply about giving and taking. "You should look behind to see who needs help to grow as well as look ahead to see what opportunities are there for you." References "AANA". (2006). Group-E Mentoring in Nursing Seeks Nurse Mentors. Retrieved February 12, 2006, from http://www.aana.com/news/2005/news041405.asp Domrose, C. (2002). A Guiding Hand. Retrieved February 11, 2006, from http://www.nurseweek.com/news/features/02-02/mentor.asp "Mentor". (2005). Mentoring. Retrieved February 13, 2006, from http://www.orgsites.com//fl//spnbna/_pgg4.php3 "Mentoring". (2005). Mentoring Matters, Clinicians Supporting Clinicians, Strategies to Maximize the Learning Environment in the Hospital Setting. Retrieved February 13, 2006, from http://72.14.207.104/searchq=cache:9ZG4lXZ303YJ:learningcenter.masongeneral.com/Mentoring%2520Matters.ppt+mentoring+in+nursing&hl=en&gl=ca&ct=clnk&cd=29 "Nurse". (2003). 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