E-mentoring in public health nursing practice

Area of Science:

• Public Health Nursing
• Online Education
• Mentorship

Background:

• High attrition rates in public health nursing.
• Shortage of qualified public health nursing faculty.
• Need for innovative educational strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a distance learning project using e-mentoring for public health nurses.
• To assess the impact of e-mentoring on student learning and mentor development.
• To identify challenges and benefits of e-mentoring in public health nursing education.

Main Methods:

• Practicing associate degree nurses enrolled in an online population-based practice course.
• Paired with experienced public health nurse e-mentors.
• Collaborated on assignments, shared experiences, and problem-solved public health issues.
• Faculty provided coordination and support.

Main Results:

• 38 student-mentor pairs participated over 3 years.
• Students highly valued mentor expertise and guidance.
• Mentors reported increased confidence in practice and mentoring abilities.
• Challenges included technology use and communication time.

Conclusions:

• E-mentoring is a viable strategy for public health nursing education.
• It overcomes barriers of distance, agency isolation, and busy schedules.
• Fosters a connected learning and sharing environment for nurses.