Mentoring new nurses in stressful times

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Professional Development

Background:

• Ontario's Wait Time Strategy and The Ottawa Hospital's expansion necessitate perioperative nurse recruitment.
• Canada's aging population and nursing shortage exacerbate workload and understaffing issues for perioperative nurses.
• New recruits often lack essential operating room experience, complicating preceptorship.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the challenges of recruiting and retaining perioperative nurses in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario.
• To explore effective strategies for supporting new perioperative nurses amidst high-demand healthcare environments.
• To highlight the role of mentorship in professional development and skill acquisition for nurses.

Main Methods:

• Discussion of current healthcare trends and nursing career path changes.
• Explanation of the Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition to illustrate learning progression.
• Presentation of mentoring as a key strategy for nurse guidance and development.

Main Results:

• Mentoring is identified as a valuable strategy for teaching, guiding, and retaining new nurses.
• Successful mentorship programs require healthy organizational cultures, transformational leadership, and staff development.
• Mentorship promotes professional growth and recognition, crucial for supporting nurses in stressful situations.

Conclusions:

• Implementing robust mentorship programs is essential for strengthening support systems for perioperative nurses.
• Addressing nurse understaffing and workload requires strategic approaches like effective mentorship.
• Fostering professional growth through mentoring can improve nursing retention and address specialty training demands.