Mentoring initiative to retain community-based registered nurses in palliative care

Retaining registered nurses (RNs) in post during their first year of employment is a problem for the Marie Curie Home Nursing Service. This article describes an initiative undertaken by Marie Curie Northern Ireland's (NI) Regional Nursing Service's manager in conjunction with clinical management and RNs to develop a peer-mentoring programme that would support newly appointed RNs during their first 3 months and strengthen the possibility that they would remain in post. A scoping exercise of key stakeholders clarified that peer mentoring could address the sense of remoteness and isolation that newly appointed nurses expressed as lone workers. RNs taking on a peer-mentoring role received additional remuneration during the 3-month period. Through the initiative, the stakeholders recognised that the peer-mentoring programme should be simple, responsive to the needs of the newly appointed nurses and provide the necessary support and guidance when required.