Student and mentor perceptions of mentoring effectiveness

Abstract

The following is an account of a small pilot study conducted over a 3-month period which ascertained the views of staff nurses and students about the mentoring process. In particular, whether the possession of a teaching qualification influences the effectiveness of mentors. The research was conducted in a district general hospital in North Wales.

The findings demonstrate that staff nurses with a teaching and assessing qualification consistently rate themselves as more effective and supportive than those without. Other findings show that students consistently rate their mentors positively irrespective of whether they held a teaching and assessing qualification and that students rate their mentors more positively than the mentors themselves. Although these findings are not generalizable in the accepted sense they may be applicable to other practice settings. The findings and discussion indicate several implications for future practice including the need for:

• More consistency in practice regarding the nature and purpose of mentorship

• Clear criteria and selection processes for potential mentors, including more extensive use of the Measuring Mentor Potential (MMP) scale as a predictive tool

• A review of current mentor preparation programmes to align them with the needs of diploma and degree students and to ensure comparability of standards throughout the UK

• More discussion regarding the nature and purpose of mentorship including further examination of a range of mentorship models.