Personal Development as a Mentor - Essay Example

Nursing is a profession that requires emotional anchorage from others. A novice in this stressful profession might experience this career difficulty and might become stunted in their striving towards a more successful healthcare practitioner. Guidance from a veteran who have already undergone and surpassed dilemmas and trials in the profession is very helpful in their career and personal development. Aside from the need of being guided and comforted, nurses also need a veteran who can educate him informally by giving out words of wisdom and professional pointers. The health care practice is a very delicate profession. Their knowledge (and lack of it) can save the life of a patient or can take it away from him. Novices need golden wisdom that only comes from hands-on experience. The needs above are only a handful of reasons why the concept of having a mentor emerged. The pleasure of finding an experienced colleague who can impart a legacy to the new generation of practitioners is invaluable. Yet despite the proliferation of the mentoring in almost all professions, the concept of a mentor is still vague. Many mistakenly consider a mentor as an ordinary friend that they can deal with lightly and unprofessionally. Others, on the other hand, highly venerate mentors to a point where they already consider them as their formal professor and instructor. As a nurse mentor, I need to elucidate what my role really is and to elaborate my obligations to my mentees. According to the paper submitted by Ehrich, Hansford, and Tennent, the term "mentor" was coined from the classic Greek epic, Odyssey wherein Odysseus on his trip to the Trojan War entrusted his son, Telemachus', education to his loyal servant, Mentor (2003). Whilst mentoring is initially done informally, in the last thirty years, this practice has gradually blossomed into an official and legitimate position in many companies. Still despite the general acceptance of the term it is still vague for most of those practicing the mentor-mentee relationship. Part of this is the lack of formal research regarding the practice and effectiveness of mentoring. Definition of Mentoring Technically, mentoring is defined by The Standing Committee on Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education as a process by which "an experienced, highly regarded, empathic person (the mentor) guides another individual (the mentee) in the development and examination of their own ideas, learning and personal and professional development (1998)." As a practicing nurse mentor, this technical definition is insufficient to provide an overview of what mentoring really is. To have a more vivid picture of what a mentor is let me provide a functional definition of mentoring using SWOT analysis and Gibbs Reflective Model. SWOT Analysis Strength Being a mentor my most familiar strength would be my extensive experience and the wisdom and values that I acquired from it. As a mentor, my job is to guide new nurses to succeed in their career by imparting them in different ways the knowledge I had for years. These practical knowledge that I have used for my own career advancement is what I would advice them to do. A role model that they can follow, I can use myself as an example to inspire them in reaching their career goals and in realizing their fullest potential. I can also use my experience as a yardstick in measuring the level of their success and in appraising their skills and current career status and what they can still achieve. This way I can open doors for possible career improvement. I can also become their advisor, someone that my mentees can lean on when they experience problems and dilemmas. All in all, as a mentor, I act as a bridge to link them from their current status towards their career plan. Weaknesses Being merely a link and not a superior to my mentees, my relationship with them might be tinged with "coolness" or become too personally attached with mentees, which might result into loss of respect and professional treatment to me by my mentees. Also my inclination to become a therapist to the ones I am mentoring also deviates my role of being a mentor (Bushnell 2003, p.5). On the other hand, mentoring is not strictly policing others. My job is not to force others to follow what I want them to do. The tendency to insist and brag my right as a senior and as a mentor can destroy the empowering, reciprocal and mutual relationship between my mentees and I. My job is to inspire them, to nurture them to reach what they want to accomplish (Busen & Engebretson 1999). Given the power to encourage and to facilitate the goals of mentees towards its realization, mentors are prone to play the role of a teacher (preceptor) and a tutor that would instruct their mentees formally and rigidly. I am not expected to have all the answers, but to provide direction and wisdom to them (Heartfield, Gibson & Nasel 2005 p.7). Being one of them, I am also prone to do this deviation from my facilitative and supportive role, encouraging my mentees towards their professional development. Opportunities Mentoring others is a very rewarding job. Seeing your mentees progress in their career is invaluable. By establishing a developmental, learning, and nurturing relationship that extends over time, mentoring provides opportunities that will improve both me and my mentees' career and personal life (Sherwen 2007). Because of the importance of mentoring, it has slowly become a newly accepted position in the nursing practice. In today's fast paced life, a mentee needs the direction and guidance coming from a mentor. Threats While mentoring is a rewarding job, there is a big possibility that it is misunderstood or taken out of context. The benefits coming from guiding from a mentor and from facilitating mentees could be a lure to exploit the essence of both mentor and mentee. The temptation to insist others to follow your bidding deviates from the real essence of mentoring (Bushnell 2003 p.5). Another threat for mentoring is the possibility of miscommunication. Mentoring requires open-mindedness and tolerance for others to grow and develop at their own pace. Effective communication skills are needed to convey important messages that would facilitate mentees. Without the meticulous choice of words and effective communication technique, mentors might send a wrong signal that would be detrimental to the existing mentoring relationship. Mentors should also familiarize his mentees that their relationship differs from the traditional leader - subordinate relationship. Effective clarification of the obligations of both parties can result into a very harmonious and rewarding relationship. Failure to do so is devastating to both sides. Gibbs Reflective Model After subjecting nurse mentoring under a SWOT analysis, it is very useful, as in other healthcare professions, to use a reflective model for personal improvement. In my case I will use Gibbs Reflective Model to scrutinize my role as a nurse mentor and think of an action plan to improve myself in carrying out my obligations. Description Mentoring is a broad role that requires different skills to effectively carry out my obligation. Though I know that I have the necessary skills to fulfil my duties, I still have to attune it from the traditional rigid supervisory function to a looser and more inspiring mentoring function. Another issue is my difficulty in conveying my intended message and my ineffective listening and reflective skills, qualities that effective mentors should possess. Feelings As I scrutinize the result of my SWOT analysis, I realize that I need to enrich my knowledge regarding mentoring especially in nursing practice. I felt stuck in the traditional leadership role and still unable to move on towards a more mature and empowering task of helping and assisting my mentees. I also felt inadequate in fulfilling my role as a mentor. Evaluation Though initially I was reluctant to accept the fact that mentoring is not done in the same manner as traditional leadership or teaching roles, I later realized that I have a distinct role and more empowering role from them. Actually, my task is to be their professional friend and counsellor. It is not my job to impose rules and regulations on their career, but to be a role model for them, someone they can turn to or confide with when they have professional problems, making my role a facilitator rather than a supervisor. Though, at first, my I felt awkward in performing my new task, I eventually felt that my role could make more powerful difference in their lives as well as mine. Conclusion Mentoring is a job that requires a mixture of professional competency and openness to mutuality with mentees in order to succeed (Sherwen 2007). Due to a lack of formal research and study in this new position, it is usually confused with supervisory and managerial roles. After critically studying the etymology and the real tasks and obligations of a mentor, I found out that it is very different from my initial impression towards it. I realized that I am more of an in-house career counsellor and facilitator for my mentees. That I am paid not to impose my plan for them but to help them align their personal goals with that of the company to improve their performance as novice nurses. Instead of bragging my credentials and track record to them I would be their model employee, a senior whom they can pattern their performance after. Action Plan With the realization above, I need to improve myself and my performance as a veteran nurse. On improving myself, I need to acquire skills necessary to perform my job better. I plan to attend seminars and trainings on effective mentoring (such as offered in University of West of England). I also plan to avail the necessary resources, such as reading and implementing what I have learned from books and from my personal research on mentoring and guiding others. On the other hand, I need to update my professional knowledge and skills so that I could be their role model. Works Cited Alderman, Belle (2001) "Mentoring Relationships" Conference Proceedings, Australian Library and Information Association, Available from: http://conferences.alia.org.au/alia2000/proceedings/belle.alderman.html [Accessed June 3, 2007]. Allen, Sheila (2006) Mentoring: The Magic Partnership. Canadian Operating Room Nursing Journal. December. Available from: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4130/is_200612/ai_n17194963 [Accessed June 5, 2007]. Barton, Thomas Davis (2006) "Clinical Mentoring of nurse practitioners: the doctors' experience" British Journal of Nursing Vol. 15, No. 15 August 10 pp. 820 - 824 Busen, N.H. and Engebretson, J. (1999) "Mentoring in Advanced Practice Nursing: The Use of Metaphor in Concept Exploration." The Internet Journal of Advanced Nursing Practice. Volume 2 Number 2. Available from: http://www.ispub.com/ostia/index.phpxmlFilePath=journals/ijanp/vol2n2/mentoring.xml#documentHeading-DefiningtheAttributesoftheMentoringConcept [accessed June 3, 2007]. Bushnell, J. (2003) "The RRANN Mentor Program" Anchorage: School of Nursing, University of Alaska Anchorage. Clutterbuck, D. (1991) "Everyone Needs a Mentor Wimbledon" Chartered Institute of Personnel Management. Development of a Good Practice Tool for Mentors (2004). Report, University of Surrey September. Division of Nursing and Health Care, University of Glasgow (2007) "Mentor's Handbook" Glasgow Available from http://www.gla.ac.uk/divisions/nursing/mentorshandbook/#rolementor [Accessed June 3, 2007]. Ehrich, Lisa Catherine, Hansford, Brian, and Tennent, Lee (2003) "Mentoring in Medical Contexts". Research Paper given at the British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, Edinburgh: Heriot Watt University September 11-13. Heartfield, Marie, Gibson, Terri, and Dagmar Nasel (2005) "Mentoring Fact Sheets for Nursing in General Practice" South Australia: University of South Australia. Royal College of Nursing (2005) "Guidance for mentors of student nurses and midwives" London: Royal College of Nursing. Shea, S (n.d.) "A good mentor has helped me to realise my potential as a nurse" Nursing Standard. Available from: http://www.nursing-standard.co.uk/students/st-v21n20p27.asp [Accessed June 5, 2007]. Sherwen, L.N. (2007). "Finding a Mentor: What Every Nursing Student Should Know" Nurses Service Organization Available from: http://www.nso.com/resources/studartcls_mentor.php [Accessed June 3, 2007]. Standing Committee on Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education (SCOPME) (1998) "Supporting doctors and dentists at work: an enquiry into mentoring" SCOPME report. Available from: http://www.mcgl.dircon.co.uk/scopme/mentor5.pdf [Accessed June 3, 2007]. Royal College of Nursing (2007) "Student nurses left unsupervised in charge of patients, warns RCN." Available from: http://www.rcn.org.uk/news/mediadisplay.phpID=2397&area=Press [Accessed June 5, 2007]. University of Central England Birmingham (2005) Using a Model of Reflection Clinical Placement Support Unit, University of Central England Birmingham.Available from: http://www.health.uce.ac.uk/cpsu/Placement%20Support/Model%20of%20Reflection.htm. [Accessed June 3, 2007]. University of Central Lancashire, Faculty of Health (2007)"Mentor Roles"Available from: http://www.uclan.ac.uk/facs/health/nursing/plsu/mentors/mentorroles.htm. [Accessed June 5, 2007]. Urban Partnership Group (2007) "Education & Training" Available from: http://www.urbanpartnershipgroup.co.uk/urban%20bobby/bobby_03f.html [Accessed June 5, 2007]. Read More