The author describes how she wants to improve the environment for those new to the nursing profession. She tells her story of creating a new program, Adopting a Nursing Student, and the rewards this program has brought to staff.
Theresa A. Herb, MEd, RN,C Column Editor
ADOPTING A NURSING STUDENT
When I attended the 2002 NNSDO convention, the closing session speaker, Melodie Chenert, MA, RN, posed a question "Why do nurses eat their young?" Why indeed! Met with this challenge to change the culture, an idea was born. It began with the concept of "adopting a nursing student for the year."
I made a proposal first to the Educational and Professional Issues councils at Bloomington Hospital to see if there were nurses interested in mentoring a senior nursing student. To my astonishment, several nurses came forward. Next, I attended a meeting with the local colleges in the community. The colleges were very eager to allow the nursing students to volunteer for the program to be paired with a nurse mentor in the student's area of interest. The program spans the senior year and includes opportunities for building relationships, enhancing professional development, and participating in the truest form of dynamic learning. Through the sharing of ideas and experiences, both the student and mentor leave the relationship enriched.
Information packets were presented to the students and mentors, which included expectations and key characteristics of the mentor and mentee. The mentor expectations included the definition of what it is to mentor. A mentor is a coach, role model, counselor, educator, friend, socializer, and confidant. Perhaps, the best definition of mentoring is a sharing of ideas and experiences. A mentor is a person who is, or has been where you want to go, a person who is willing to assist you in meeting the challenges of reaching your next goal. As a role model, the mentor assists the student by example, that is, by demonstrating and personifying how a competent nurse performs. As a socializer, the mentor actively integrates the student into the social culture of the unit and facility by making the student feel welcome in peer groups, with coworkers, and in the organization. As an educator, the mentor assists the student in assessing learning needs. The number one concern of the student nurse is how to organize and prioritize. Spending time with the mentor on the unit gives a first hand example of how to multitask.
Student-mentor discussion topics were included in the packet for weekly or monthly discussion including dealing with stress, interviewing skills, conflict resolution, performance improvement studies, and death and dying issues. Discussion topics were designed with the input from staff nurses who wanted to share with the student their "reality story." Experience takes book knowledge and allows the novice to apply the information. It is one thing to read about death and the dying experience and a whole other issue to see it first hand. How does a staff nurse in oncology, for example, deal daily with losing a patient in a life struggle with cancer? Explaining the privilege and reward of nursing that goes beyond a paycheck and the fulfillment that keeps the nurse balanced from burnout helps the next generation of nurses prepare for the real world. Discussion topics were designed for one-on-one sharing between the mentor and student to create an atmosphere of shared learning. Nursing concerns of the students are also addressed at the social events where networking takes place among students and staff.
According to Zemke and colleagues (2000), 33% of the work force are Generation X-ers who are seeking a sense of family and enjoy group activities. The regular scheduled social events encouraged an extended family of novice to expert nurses who bonded both as friends and as professionals. The social events scheduled throughout the year including a continental breakfast, luncheon, holiday party, and an end-of-year celebration reception. Hospital managers and educators were invited to attend the social events to meet the students on a regular basis. The mentors were given a care package compliments of the hospital for the student for finals week. Included in the care package were study tips, comfort foods, and surprises. Encouragement cards were available to the mentors to send to their mentees throughout the year. At the end of the program, all participants received a certificate, gift, and many hugs.
The cost of the program was shared among human resources, the nursing division, and educational services. As a recruitment and retention tool, there is value in "grow your own philosophy." The nursing student-mentor program fits the Magnet Standard of Collaboration-Measurement 12.3 "collaboration with peers, other staff members and departments, as well as individuals and entities external to the organization to develop and implement recruitment and retention tools" (American Nurses Credentialing Center, 2003, p. 118). Partnership with local community colleges and universities enhances both the hospital and schools to ensure that student nurses are prepared to enter the work force. The outcome of the student mentor program was more than statistics can express. Eighty-nine percent of the students have chosen to work at Bloomington Hospital after graduation. The most surprising response was from the mentors who enjoyed the experience of sharing their love and knowledge of the nursing profession.
At the end of the first year, summary of the program was presented to management including a cost and benefit analysis. The staff time was an indirect cost because we met with the students during work time. The social events could be as simple or elaborate as the imagination will allow. The benefit of prepared nurses who want to join and stay in your institution-priceless! We are now in our second successful year of "adopting a student" and changing our culture to one of nurturing students to success.
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