Clinical Mentorship in Nursing Practice in the UAE: A Mixed-Methods Study of Mentor Perspectives on Effectiveness,...

Clinical mentorship is a cornerstone of nursing education, supporting the development of clinical competence, professional identity, and readiness for practice. Although mentorship has been widely studied internationally, evidence from Arab countries remains limited. This study examined nursing professionals' perceptions of clinical mentorship and explored factors influencing mentorship effectiveness within healthcare settings in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, grounded in a pragmatic worldview, was employed. Quantitative data were collected through a cross-sectional survey of 75 nursing professionals working across healthcare facilities in the UAE. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to examine mentorship experiences and perceived effectiveness. Qualitative data from open-ended survey responses were analyzed thematically to explain and enrich quantitative findings. Integration occurred during interpretation through the comparison of quantitative and qualitative results.

Most participants (76.0%, n = 57) reported that mentorship positively influenced students' preparedness for clinical practice under four themes. The themes are enhanced clinical competence, bridging theory and practice, the importance of supportive mentor behaviors, and the value of continuous learning support. Participants also identified challenges that affected mentorship effectiveness, including communication barriers, limited student engagement, time constraints, and inadequate mentor preparation. Among respondents who completed the evaluation stress item (n = 44), 41.3% (n = 31) reported no stress when evaluating students, whereas 17.3% (n = 13) reported evaluation-related stress associated with unclear assessment criteria, workload pressures, and competing clinical responsibilities. More than half of participants (54.7%, n = 41) preferred a combination of compensation approaches, particularly continuing professional development opportunities and formal recognition.

Clinical mentorship is an important contributor to nursing students' preparedness and professional development. Strengthening mentor training, clarifying evaluation processes, addressing workload pressures, and implementing meaningful recognition strategies may enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of mentorship in clinical practice settings.