Mentoring in nursing: A concept analysis using Rodgers' evolutionary method

Since the 1990s, mentoring has increasingly gained recognition in nursing as a strategic approach to support professional development and role transition. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses have been experiencing more clinical burnout, and an update of the concept of mentoring and its attributes is necessary.

To report a concept analysis of mentoring in nursing in a post-pandemic context.

Data were analyzed following Rodgers' evolutionary method and the Standard for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR) checklist, with a focus on antecedents, substitutes, related terms, attributes, and consequences of mentoring in nursing. Thirty studies from the Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Embase, and ScienceDirect were obtained. The search was conducted across all years within the databases, from 1992 to 2026.

This study found nine connected attributes of mentoring: The mentor-mentee pair must have a trustworthy relationship with mutual learning and listening. Clinical experience with leadership as an antecedent is essential for the mentor, and motivation for the mentee. Support, compatibility, availability, and partnership are central elements of the relationship and allow the pair to evolve professionally and personally. Mentoring is an important concept for the discipline of nursing, with its application for nurse well-being, job satisfaction, and retention.

Mentoring is essential in the post-pandemic setting of burnout and the decrease in the nurse workforce. Its use demonstrates a positive impact on nurses in need of professional and personal development. It is now imperative to implement it on a large scale to support nurses.