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Mentoring

Distinct Career Development Relationships (CDRs) Should be Used Over the Course of Your Nursing Career

At times you may be the recipient in the relationship and at times, the developer. When these relationships are properly instituted at the correct time in your career, we believe they improve the nursing work environment, job performance, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and intent to stay, while decreasing turnover. There are five CDRs that are well described in healthcare, business, and education literature. They are precepting, coaching, peer-strategizing, sponsoring and mentoring.

Why a Mentoring Guide?

The nursing shortage, the hectic practice environment, and statistics on the numbers of new graduate nurses who leave their first nursing position within the first year were critical factors in the decision of AMSN to develop a program in 2002. This program has evolved over time to be a self-directed format that you design and implement.

These guides will help you design and implement a successful mentoring program of your own whether you are a mentor, mentee, or a mentoring program site coordinator at a hospital or other agency. These guides are designed to foster professional development in new graduate nurses and other nurses assuming a new role. You may use and customize the information and tools provided in any manner you deem appropriate for your organization or yourself.

These guides are designed to:

  1. Develop supportive and encouraging relationships
  2. Guide nurses in their professional, personal, and interpersonal growth
  3. Promote mutuality and sharing based on the needs of colleagues
  4. Communicate information concerning expectations, learning opportunities, and stressors

They contain mentoring information, directions for implementing a mentoring relationship, mentor self-assessment, tips for successful mentoring, mentoring program plan, and program evaluation tools.

The AMSN Mentoring Program contains three components

Mentor Guide

Mentor Guide

Contains mentoring information, directions for implementing a mentoring relationship, mentor self-assessment, tips for successful mentoring, mentoring program plan, and program evaluation tools.

Mentee Guide

Mentee Guide

Contains information for the mentee; directions for success in a mentoring relationship, exercises for the mentee, formulating a mentoring program plan and agenda, job satisfaction surveys, and program evaluation tools.

Site Coordinator Guide

Site Coordinator Guide

Contains mentoring information, tips for coordinating a mentoring program, role descriptions for the site coordinator, mentor and mentee, and a timeline/checklist for managing the program.

Acknowledgments

The Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses would like to acknowledge the contribution and support of these individuals and organizations for their assistance in the development of this program.