Making a Mentoring Match: Advancing the Profession Through Technology

Matthew S. Howard, MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, CPN Sigma, Director of Educational Resources Lois Marshall, PhD, RN Nurse Education Consultant

Description Learn about one organizations mentoring program that provides an avenue for nurses from different geographical backgrounds to stay connected and provide support.

Purpose The purpose of this project was to use new technology to provide an avenue for nurses from different geographical backgrounds to stay connected and provide support in a way that has not been done before. New web-based technology has allowed experienced nurses to connect and mentor new nurses to support their transition into their current practice.

Upon completion of this presentation, the learner will be able to: • Discuss the Sigma Mentoring and Coaching program • Discuss the procedure or steps for establishing a relationship using technology

Background and significance Globally, the populations of the world are experiencing poor access to care, insufficient resources, and nursing shortages of overwhelming proportion. The integration of best available evidence is associated with improved patient outcomes, reduced treatment costs and need for clinical interventions. Lack of professional support and a dissatisfying work environment are associated with high levels of job-related burnout and nurses’ intent to leave their job. A distance-mediated formal mentoring program has been shown to provide the support new nurses need to grow in the profession.

Strategy and Implementation A task force was convened of nurse researchers, academicians, and clinicians from around the world to develop a distance-mediated nurse mentoring program. Over the span of five months, the task force met via web-based technologies to develop a comprehensive, formal mentoring program designed to advance and encourage nurses to pursue lifelong learning opportunities, demonstrate new competencies in systems thinking, quality improvement, and care management that will better prepare them to improve health care outcomes in academic and/or clinical settings around the world.

The task force developed criteria to match nurse mentors with nurse mentees from around the world based on the needs, or perceived needs, of the nurse mentee and the experience and expertise of the nurse mentor. An online educational course is completed to ensure that program expectations are known and agreed to prior to enrolling in the program. Utilizing new technologies, nurses are matched based on their provided mentoring topics, nursing specialty, career stage, global region, spoken language(s) and time commitment. Software then allows nurse mentors and mentees to agree to be matched. Once a match has been confirmed, both parties then agree to which venue or form their communication will take place.

Evaluation Once a match has been confirmed, mentors and mentees are expected to complete periodic program evaluations. Data is measured via online evaluations performed four times during the first year and each year after that based on the initial match date. Along with demographic data, an adapted version of the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing Mentorship Effectiveness Scale is used throughout the evaluation period.

Implications for Practice To address the nursing shortage issue, it is critical to create supportive and positive environments to promote the well-being and professional development of nurses. This distance-mediated formal mentoring program will provide one avenue of support and encouragement nurses so desperately need.

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