Having been a nurse manager for 4 years at a midsize specialty hospital in a large city and a beneficiary of mentorship, I was very pleased to read the article "Get authentically engaged" by Toby Bressler, MPA, RN, OCN, in the June issue, which described the significance of mentoring new managers and the impact that it would have on the workforce. In addition, the implications of engaging nurse managers, especially the novice manager, were also described. Many studies have indicated that the nurse manager is critically related to quality outcomes and staff development.
According to Bressler, the benefits of having an engaged manager can't be overstated. Engaged nurse managers have been associated with increased employee satisfaction and retention and quality patient care. As a beneficiary of mentorship, this article hit the spot for recognizing the importance of creating a supportive environment in which the nurse manager feels motivated and encouraged to grow into an engaged leader. I was fortunate to have a mentor who guided, coached, supported, and provided me with the resources that I needed at the beginning of my leadership role. Her contribution to my leadership development shaped my nursing practice and my leadership abilities.
I agree with Bressler that more studies should be conducted on the factors affecting nurse managers' job performance. My suggestion is to examine the factors behind the successful and engaged nurse manger. What can the organization do to nurture and promote nurse managers to prevent role overload? This article described role overload as the increase of work demand from staff, patients, and the organization. I can testify that my mentor was instrumental in helping me with stress management and role overload.
As a beneficiary of mentorship, I'm committed to effectively mentoring others. Mentoring is essential to overall organizational success and is one of the approaches used to enhance staff development and job satisfaction.
Jane Ugochukwu, BSN, RN-BC
Graduate Student University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, Tex.