Mentoring and its impact on intellectual capital: through the eyes of the mentee

Recently, the concept of mentoring, and the use of mentorship programs, is being touted as a strategic means within healthcare organizations to address the nursing shortage that promises to continue well into the future. Mentoring, on the surface, could also be considered as an excellent means of supporting the development and retention of intellectual capital and succession planning within nursing. However, without a better understanding of the concept of mentoring, nurse leaders can never really know the full impact of mentoring in order to achieve such goals within the organization. Several key results from a study of mentorship in nursing support the concept of ongoing knowledge sharing within the discipline, as seen through the eyes of the mentee. The implications for nurse leaders shift the focus from formal mentoring programs to the creation of practice settings that foster the development of mentoring relationships.