Development and evaluation of a neonatal nurse practitioner mentoring workshop

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Advanced Practice Nursing

Background:

• New graduate neonatal nurse practitioners (NNPs) require structured support beyond orientation for effective role transition and job satisfaction.
• A literature gap exists regarding specific training for participants in NNP mentoring programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a mentoring workshop for nurse practitioners (NPs) prior to a formal mentoring program.
• To assess participant satisfaction and identify areas for improvement in the workshop design.

Main Methods:

• A half-day interactive workshop was designed focusing on program expectations, roles, and communication.
• Twenty-eight newly hired NPs and experienced NP mentors participated in two cohorts between January 2022 and January 2023.
• Post-workshop electronic surveys were used to evaluate participant satisfaction.

Main Results:

• Participants reported high satisfaction with the interactive elements of the 4-hour workshop.
• The workshop effectively helped participants establish realistic expectations and mutual goals.
• Feedback identified areas for improvement in participant preparation strategies.

Conclusions:

• Interactive mentoring workshops are beneficial for preparing participants in NP mentoring programs.
• Further research is needed to optimize time- and cost-efficient strategies for preparing effective mentoring participants.
• Enhanced preparation can improve the overall quality of NP mentoring programs.