Administrative substance. A mentoring experience

Leadership is an essential skill that must be passed on to the next generation of nursing leaders, if nursing is to continue to flourish. While some may argue that leadership ability is innate, certain acquired skills can enhance one's leadership abilities. Additionally, opportunities and appropriate experiences are essential to the development of effective leadership potential. The purpose of this article is to present a method of mentoring that allows the new academician to gain valuable leadership experience. This method encompasses an advanced doctoral student working with and under the leadership of an experienced nursing academic leader. The mentorship program attempts to fill the gap for needed leadership and administrative experiences in the academic setting among doctoral students and new doctoral graduates.