Mentorship in Nursing
Mentoring has been established in a variety of fields for many years. Within nursing, the term ‘mentor’ denotes “A nurse, midwife or specialist community public health nurse who facilitates learning and supervises and assesses students in a practice setting”, (Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) 2005). The essay will explore the role of the mentor in the field of nursing, with personal reflection on the authors experience as a mentor in my current role as a community mental health nurse (CMHN). The mentor-mentee learning relationship will be explored and the application of teaching and learning strategies will be examined.
The essay will also discuss the responsibility of the mentor in relation to self, others and the professional agenda and will analyse current assessment procedures for nursing students. Following a student journey, the essay will consider how the mentorship process can be improved in the clinical practice environment.
In recent years, the National Health Service has undergone huge modernisation and consequently, the preparation of nurses for the future has changed to reflect its new principles. The change in organisational and educational philosophies in teaching nursing has lead to a search for effective strategies that are directed towards making the most of human potential and learning in practice. The clinical experience of nursing students is widely acknowledged as being one of the most important aspects of their educational preparations (English National Board (ENB) & Department Of Health (DOH) 2001a). It is during practice placements that the student learns how to take care of patients, colleagues and others that they work and interact with and it is this practical learning that ensures they are fit for practice and purpose.
Within the placement area, we accommodate nursing students from the University of Central Lancashire who follow pre-registration curricula, working towards either a Diploma in Higher Education in
The essay will also discuss the responsibility of the mentor in relation to self, others and the professional agenda and will analyse current assessment procedures for nursing students. Following a student journey, the essay will consider how the mentorship process can be improved in the clinical practice environment.
In recent years, the National Health Service has undergone huge modernisation and consequently, the preparation of nurses for the future has changed to reflect its new principles. The change in organisational and educational philosophies in teaching nursing has lead to a search for effective strategies that are directed towards making the most of human potential and learning in practice. The clinical experience of nursing students is widely acknowledged as being one of the most important aspects of their educational preparations (English National Board (ENB) & Department Of Health (DOH) 2001a). It is during practice placements that the student learns how to take care of patients, colleagues and others that they work and interact with and it is this practical learning that ensures they are fit for practice and purpose.
Within the placement area, we accommodate nursing students from the University of Central Lancashire who follow pre-registration curricula, working towards either a Diploma in Higher Education in