Factors that facilitate or hinder mentoring in the nurse practitioner preceptor/student relationship

Mentoring, a process thought to be crucial for the novice nurse practitioner during the time of transition to advanced practice, has implications for role socialization and, ultimately, for patient care outcomes. In-depth interviews of mentored or non-mentored nurse practitioner students, drawn from an earlier phase of the present study (Hayes, 1998) and identified as outliers, provided a basis for exploring the meaning of factors that may facilitate or hinder mentoring in the NP preceptor/student relationship. Study findings confirmed and illuminated earlier results (Hayes, 1998) predictive of mentoring, such as time in the practicum, preceptor experience, and choice of preceptor rather than acceptance of faculty assignment. However, NP preceptor/student age differences, student nursing experience, and the tone of the clinical setting can either facilitate or hinder the development of mentoring. Although gender and discipline of the preceptor may be important to many students, a humanistic precepting style may be equally or more important. Understanding factors that facilitate or hinder mentoring will help faculty to better plan clinical experiences, assist preceptors in their potential roles as mentors, and maximize learning opportunities for mentor-seeking students who must navigate successfully in today's cost-conscious, quality outcome-oriented health care environment.