A literature review of mentorship programs in academic nursing

Nursing education institutions have issued recurring, global calls for mentorship; however, evidence-based program development guidance is scarce. To date, there are no comprehensive syntheses of current mentorship models, objectives, and program components to inform mentorship program development in nursing academia. The purpose of this review is to identify published articles that (1) described models for mentoring programs for academic nurses, and (2) described the objectives and core components of these programs.

A systematic search of five databases (Medline, CINAHL, Embase, ERIC, and PsycINFO) was conducted to identify articles describing mentorship programs for academic nurses. Program objectives and components were extracted and narratively synthesized to identify important patterns and themes across mentorship programs.

A total of 34 articles describing 30 mentorship programs were identified. Mentoring models included dyad, peer, group, online, distance, learning partnerships, highly relevant, and constellation mentorship models. Key mentoring program components included: (a) having a program coordinator; (b) orientation to the program; (c) selectively matching dyads; (d) developing clear purpose and goals; (e) frequent communication between mentors and mentees; (f) faculty development workshops; (g) mentee reflective journaling; (h) facilitation of socialization and networking opportunities; and (i) administrative support.

In synthesizing the mentorship literature in academic nursing it is apparent that mentorship models and mentorship components look different in every setting with no empirical evidence that one mentorship model is more effective than another. Given the significant resources required to support mentorship innovations, understanding the benefits and shortcomings of various mentorship components can help ensure scarce resources are invested in the most effective mentorship strategies.