Mentoring student nurses is a crucial role for experienced nurses, as it allows them to pass on their knowledge and skills to the next generation of healthcare professionals. Not only does mentoring benefit the students, but it can also have a positive impact on the mentor, as it allows them to reflect on their own practice and keep their skills and knowledge up to date.
There are many ways that mentors can support student nurses during their clinical placements. One of the most important tasks is providing guidance and support as students learn to apply their theoretical knowledge to real-life situations. This can involve helping them to understand complex concepts, providing feedback on their performance, and encouraging them to ask questions and seek clarification when needed.
Mentors can also play a role in helping students develop their professional skills, such as communication and teamwork. This may involve observing students as they interact with patients and providing feedback on their approach and demeanor. It can also involve helping students to understand the importance of maintaining confidentiality and respecting the rights of patients.
Another key role for mentors is providing support to students as they navigate the challenges of their clinical placements. This can include helping them to manage their workload, providing emotional support during difficult times, and advocating for them when necessary.
Overall, mentoring student nurses is an important and rewarding responsibility for experienced nurses. It allows them to pass on their knowledge and skills, and to play a role in shaping the next generation of healthcare professionals.
Introduction Of Leadership And Mentoring Essay in Nursing
Therefore, professional accountability lies with the registered nurse that a student nurse works with. Cognitive theory focuses on psychological processes that are involved in the acquisition, organisation and use of knowledge knowles 1990. Bloom 1956 talks about three domains of learning. According to Collins, creating such an infrastructure would include building a system that could provide educational leadership opportunities, funding for medical educational research, students, student, and peer feedback and faculty development and mentoring. According to Melia 1987 the environment of a clinical setting was more sufficient than classroom learning environment and introduction of clinical and practical skills at the earliest opportunity will be the key to successful learning. Diverging learning, are people that prefer to watch than do, prefer to work in groups, listen with open mind and ready to receive criticism. Nurse mentorship programs are critical; they can even be found globally.
On commencement of the mentorship module it was found that there were no students or learners available to me initially so the time span for my period of mentoring for the purpose of the assignment was limited to just one month. With regular practice and encouragement my student was able to enjoy her placement. Hill 2007 supports the idea that feedback plays an important role in the learning cycle in the link between the theoretical and practical elements of competencies. Jane and I had not had contact prior to her arrival at the placement but this had been arranged via the practice learning facilitator. . On the first day of my mentee right after her orientation, we have drawn up her learning opportunities so that there was an awareness of what my mentee hoped to gain from the operating theatre experience. A relationship needs to be formed between the nurse and the student, which should be motivated by the fact, that by sharing their knowledge, they are helping to improve the entire health system, through improving the quality and quantity of more competent newly qualified nurses, who will eventually become their own colleagues.
Critical Self Analysis of Mentoring a Nursing student
Learner must be made feel that they are welcome and important; this way will assist the learner to incorporate themselves into the clinical environment Welsh and Swan 2006. It brings individuals with a common goal Flores, 2005. Evaluation: With good motivation and the right approach the learner felt that she is being valued as a staff nurse therefore it brings the best out of her. Mentors have to plan and provide appropriate opportunities for teaching and learning activities, with clinical experience to achieve learning outcomes and develop professional competencies Choun and Suen 2001. Read the Intensive Care Unit Standards and Policies Folder APPENDIX D WEEK ONE Day 1 The learner picked a patient with respiratory failure who has now developed ventilator acquired pneumonia wit high oxygen requirements. As a teacher, I must understand that learning styles change depending on the task being taught and how the student responds to the learning experience. I also have reiterated that it is expected of her to have learned these by now as she has been in the unit for a while.
. Mentor avoid to act as a professional case manager, view the role of a mentor as a friend rather than a counsellor. Before introducing some of the techniques and equipment used in airway management, i knew it was important to discuss with the student their level of knowledge and experience. Hutchinson 2003 supports this by stating that an environment is not just the physical area but also the attitudes of staff. Allen 2005 stated that a good mentor should be open and honest as well as be able to take advice and criticism. Evaluation: It took four weeks for the learner to understand fully the significance of the abnormal blood gas results and how it relates to the patient.
Procedures are explained to the mentee so that they can understand while observing their mentor and later bring forward any difficulties or suggestions. Mentoring in Practice: a reader. Cognitive theory focuses on psychological processes that are involved in the acquisition, organisation and use of knowledge knowles 1990. The mentor represents the connection between parent and their child, teacher and student, doctor and patient, god and man. Meeting every week to evaluate progress and identify areas of improvement. I will take every opportunity to improve my own practice, in order to provide quality learning. The learning pack helped the student to become familiar with the airway equipment and techniques easily.
The student nurse on placement in theatres was introduced to firstly their mentor, who after a friendly introduction took the student to the locker room to show them where they could leave their belongings and get changed. “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader” John, 2007. Furthermore, the NMC 2008b identified the need for protected time for mentoring. As a leader, it is important to understand the level of motivation of the employees in the organization. It was apparent that she already has the knowledge and skills as she has done them on her workbook in the past and has looked after patients like this before. The theoretical knowledge of learning theories and teaching strategies that I have gained will enable me to meet the requirements of each individual student needs.
By the way, assist mentee to obtaining additional resources; mean that resources to help mentee enhance personal development and career growth. Therefore, I provide support for my students to actively participate in patient encounters, building their clinical confidence and competence. I will use assessment tool to help student easier to understanding what am I taught. Through these skills, the young person can gain economic independence and personal empowerment. Their attitude towards learning and students will also greatly influence the learning environment. Assimilating learning style are people that watch and think.
In order to do this, we need to develop certain skills to adjust to a continually evolving knowledge based practice. According to the Behaviourism theory Skinner 1974 , the learning environment is fundamental to learning, and if this environment is right, learning occurs as connections are made between stimulus and response, and response and reinforcement cited by Quinn, 2000a. “Mentors are people who, through their action and work, help others to achieve their potential. Bruner 1961 explains that when presenting new information to students, the way the material is structured is important to overall learning. My aim was that the student would learn the basics of airway management, some of which they would be able to put into practice in the recovery room under supervision, such as removal of a patients laryngeal mask. Other outcomes included decreasing first year students stress levels, increasing self-confidence, autonomy and problem solving skills.
Johns 1995 describes the process of reflection as a tool we use to assess, understand and learn through our lived experiences. How students interact with the learning environment is important, particularly in the context of life long learning and continuing professional development. I was pleased to hear that she had found other members of staff supportive during her first two days on the ward. Cahill 1996 acknowledges that the single most crucial factor in creating a positive learning environment is the relationship between staff and nursing students. The Humanistic learning theory Maslow 1968 is based on the belief that humans have two basic needs, a need for growth and a need for positive regard by others. Mentors have an important role in ensuring the acquisition of knowledge obtained at university translates into competency in practice and does not lead to the 'theory practice gap' described by Cope et al 2000.
On a variety of occasions, it was clear that my mentee is good in watching a procedure before performing it. Producing competent professionals, with all its complex combinations of knowledge, performance, skills and attitudes needs contribution from nurses, patients and managers. It was unfortunate that I was not able to work with her on her first shift as I was finishing the nightshift as she was starting with the dayshift. This on occasions made me uncomfortable as I was aware I was being observed and perhaps even judged on my behaviours and standards of care. Nonetheless, when the experts facilitate program changes, notable changes will probably happen. Melia 1987 emphasized that clinical learning is effective when the method is based on partnership and common respect. Continuous assessment can be used to measure consistency, it allows for progression, improvement and development and permits assessment in different areas or scenarios.
