The California Nurse Mentor Project: every nurse deserves a mentor

In the rush to fill positions, newly hired and transitioning RNs are increasingly put into demanding roles without adequate clinical or organizational preparation. One approach that has shown promising preliminary success in enhancing nursing job satisfaction and increasing long-term retention is the use of trained nurse mentors who are paired with newly hired or new graduate nurses to provide ongoing support, guidance, and assistance. The California Nurse Mentor Project was a 3-year pilot project whose goal was to create a replicable program designed to improve the quality, sensitivity, and effectiveness of patient care through enhanced retention of nurses, including multicultural, multilingual, and male nurses. The pilot implementation of the California Nurse Mentor project has been extremely successful. Attrition rates are lower for nurses who are enrolled in the program than those who did not. Both mentors and mentees report that the program has impacted several areas, including their job satisfaction and professional confidence. Preceptor training, according to participant feedback, shows lasting effects on their pedagogy even a year after attending the training.