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What do mentors find difficult?
Laurence G Moseley1, Moira Davies
1Health Services Research, Faculty of Health, Sport and Science, University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd, UK. lmoseley@glam.ac.uk
Journal of Clinical Nursing
|January 9, 2008
Summary
Mentors generally have a positive attitude towards their role. Beyond interpersonal and organizational challenges, cognitive factors significantly impact mentor experiences and should be emphasized in training.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Education
- Healthcare Professional Development
- Mentorship Programs
Background:
- Mentorship is crucial for nurse training, with new standards emphasizing mentor preparation.
- Anecdotal evidence suggests challenges for mentors, but empirical data is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess mentor attitudes towards their role.
- To identify specific aspects of the mentor role that are perceived as easy or difficult.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 86 mentors with an 89% response rate.
- Utilized a Thurstone scale for role satisfaction and Likert scales for problem identification.
Main Results:
- Overall, mentors reported a positive attitude towards their role, contrary to anecdotal reports.
- Principal components analysis revealed two key factors: interpersonal/organizational and cognitive/intellectual.
Conclusions:
- Mentors generally enjoy their role and view it positively.
- Cognitive and intellectual factors, alongside interpersonal and organizational ones, present significant challenges and warrant greater focus in mentor training.
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