Exploring Mentoring Relationships Among Novice Nurse Faculty: A Grounded Theory

Institutional factors that affect faculty mentoring in academic nursing programs

BACKGROUND

Mentoring in academic nursing facilitates the acclimation of nurse faculty into academia, supports career development, and improves faculty satisfaction and retention. While studies have examined the characteristics of effective mentors, few have examined institutional influences on academic mentoring for faculty.

PURPOSE

To identify institutional factors that support or hinder faculty-to-faculty academic mentoring from the perspectives of experienced nurse faculty mentors.

METHOD

A qualitative descriptive approach was used to identify institutional factors that impact academic mentoring. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with experienced nurse faculty (n = 24) about their mentoring experiences. Remarks related to institutional factors were analyzed using conventional content analysis.

RESULTS

Five institutional factors that supported mentoring were identified: (1) support of unit leaders, (2) established processes and policies, (3) mentoring development opportunities, (4) faculty-to-faculty support, and (5) faculty rewards. Six institutional factors that hindered mentoring were identified: (1) lack of support of unit leaders, (2) limited mentoring development opportunities, (3) heavy workloads that restrict mentoring, (4) limited pool of mentors, (5) inadequate faculty rewards for mentoring, and (6) limited oversight of faculty mentoring.

CONCLUSION

The identification of institutional factors that support or hinder mentoring can inform academic leaders and program administrators in their efforts to strengthen mentoring.

Mentoring Experiences of New Nontenured Faculty in Undergraduate Nursing: A Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND

Mentoring is crucial for professional development and retention of newly hired nurse faculty, yet little is known about the actual mentoring experiences of clinical nurses in their first few years following transition into academic teaching.

METHOD

Individual semistructured interviews were conducted with 23 full-time nontenure-track faculty from 10 higher education institutions in seven states in the United States. All of the faculty were in the first 3 years of teaching in 4-year undergraduate nursing programs.

RESULTS

Five themes emerged: (1) chaotic work environments characterized by unpredictable workloads, absence of reliable support, and inconsistent access to information; (2) a de facto do-it-yourself system in which nurses pieced together their own support; (3) reliance on personal social networks; (4) yearning for real mentorship; and (5) future plans about staying in the role.

CONCLUSION

A gap exists between widely touted recommendations about mentoring and the reality of mentoring for newly hired nontenure-track faculty. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(8):525-532.].

Mentoring in Academic Nursing From the Perspectives of Faculty Mentors

AIM

The aim of this study was to create a theoretical framework that describes how mentoring relationships in academic nursing unfold from the perspectives of nurse faculty mentors.

BACKGROUND

Mentoring is a strategy that can promote the satisfaction and retention of nurse faculty. Although research has focused on the experiences of protégés in mentoring relationships, little is known about mentoring from the perspectives of nurse faculty mentors.

METHOD

Constructivist grounded theory was used to interview 24 experienced nurse faculty about their mentoring experiences.

RESULTS

The theoretical framework Growing Together: Mentors' Perspectives on Mentoring included four phases (getting together, getting going, going together, going beyond) and three strands (relationship with protégé, work of mentoring, emotional impact of mentoring).

CONCLUSION

Participants experienced a variety of benefits from mentoring while also experiencing a variety of challenges. Findings suggest that more resources are needed for experienced faculty who mentor novice nurse faculty.

Mentoring-as-Partnership: The Meaning of Mentoring Among Novice Nurse Faculty

BACKGROUND

Mentoring is recommended as a strategy to improve satisfaction and retention of novice nurse faculty to help address the current faculty shortage. However, the meaning of academic mentoring varies among faculty, which can detract from the development of effective mentoring relationships in academia. This article details the meaning of mentoring as characterized by novice nurse faculty.

METHOD

Semistructured interviews were conducted with novice nurse faculty (n = 21) who participated in a mentoring relationship with experienced colleagues. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes detailing the meaning of mentoring as described by the participants.

RESULTS

The thematic analysis revealed an overarching theme of mentoring-as-partnership and three subthemes: (a) authentic communication, (b) enriching support, and (c) sharing knowledge.

CONCLUSION

To strengthen mentoring relationships in academic nursing, focus should be placed on supporting mentoring partnerships marked by mutuality and clearly defined goals, roles, and responsibilities. [J Nurs Educ. 2023;62(2):83-88.].