Mentoring Nontenured Track Nursing Faculty: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Higher Education Administration
• Faculty Development

Background:

• Nontenure track faculty are crucial in nursing education but often face unique challenges regarding career progression and productivity.
• Existing mentoring strategies may not adequately address the specific needs of nontenure track nursing faculty.
• Understanding effective mentoring is vital for retaining and developing nursing faculty in academic settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and evaluate the effectiveness of mentoring strategies for nursing faculty on the nontenure track.
• To identify specific mentoring needs and successful approaches for nontenure track nursing faculty progression and productivity.
• To provide evidence-based recommendations for institutions of higher education to support nontenure track nursing faculty.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of the scientific literature.
• Inclusion of 60 relevant articles.
• Analysis of mentoring strategies and their impact on faculty progression and productivity.

Main Results:

• Nontenure track nursing faculty require planned programs and mentoring strategies specifically designed for their roles and abilities.
• Structured mentoring activities are essential for improving faculty progression, scholarship, and overall career growth.
• The review identified a need for role-specific, structured mentoring to support nontenure track nursing faculty.

Conclusions:

• Institutions of higher education should implement structured mentoring programs tailored to nontenure track nursing faculty.
• Effective mentoring can significantly enhance career progression, productivity, and scholarly activities for this faculty group.
• Investing in targeted mentoring strategies is crucial for the success and retention of nontenure track nursing faculty.