Barmentoring: mentoring and critical nursing behaviors among novice nurses in clinical nursing practice

The findings of this pilot study provide some support that there is a significant positive relationship between the level of achievement rating of critical case (basic psychomotor skills) and the level of barmentoring (encouragement) of novice nurses in clinical nursing practice. The leadership gained from the developmental refinement of the mentor/protégé relationship is a key to acting and thinking as a professional in nursing practice. Although the mentor/protégé relationship may contribute to personal and professional goal attainment, mentoring should not be regarded as a panacea, but as one modality for enhancing professional development (Messner, 1991; Yoder, 1990). The limitations of the study include a fairly homogenous sample, self-reported data, and lack of knowledge of the sample's preceptors. The sample size notably affects the generalizability of the findings as well as the statistical findings in the study.