Journey to Becoming a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner: Making the Decision to Enter Graduate School

Growing the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Workforce Through Mentoring: A Scoping Review

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this article is to highlight evidence specific to the neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP) workforce related to successful mentoring programs. Specifically, the authors of this article explored recent evidence of mentorship to improve job satisfaction and retention of the NNP workforce.

BACKGROUND

NNPs are valuable members of neonatal healthcare team. Because of the aging NNP workforce, methods to recruit, train, mentor, develop, and retain new NNPs are imperative.

METHODS

Using a quality appraisal tool from the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews, articles were identified through electronic database searches using search terms related to mentoring, nurse practitioners, recruitment, and retention. Studies published in English between 2013 and 2023 were included. Peer-reviewed quantitative and qualitative articles were synthesized and critically appraised by 4 reviewers.

RESULTS

The authors identified 46 articles with a focus on mentoring in nursing of which 12 articles include mentoring for nurse practitioners. Research indicates that mentoring relationships are valuable in many healthcare roles and professions. Evidence is limited indicating the impact of mentoring in the highly specialized role of the NNP.

CONCLUSION

Mentoring is an invaluable component of professional nursing and counters incivility while advancing competency, job satisfaction, and retention. Additional research is needed regarding NNP-specific mentoring programs.

Utilization and Meaningfulness of National Association of Neonatal Nurse Practitioners' Mentoring Toolkit Activities

BACKGROUND

Mentoring is a process in which a more skilled or experienced person builds a supportive relationship with a less experienced person to promote the latter's professional development. The National Association of Neonatal Nurse Practitioners (NANNP) supports the establishment of formalized mentoring programs for neonatal nurse practitioners (NNPs) and published a mentoring toolkit in 2017. Completing suggested activities outlined in the toolkit promotes the incorporation of evidence-based practice into the NNP professional role.

PURPOSE

This quality improvement project's purpose was to measure utilization and meaningfulness of NANNP mentoring toolkit activities.

METHODS

A convenience sample of 21 nurse practitioners was paired in 2 mentoring cohorts. Dyads were encouraged to meet monthly to complete NANNP mentoring toolkit activities in the context of a formalized mentoring program. Monthly data were collected to evaluate use and meaningfulness of the toolkit activities. Quantitative data included frequency and length of mentoring meetings, activities completed, and ratings of meaningfulness on a Likert-type scale.

RESULTS

Six of the 9 (67%) NANNP mentoring activities completed by the 2 cohorts were rated as "meaningful" or "very meaningful" by participants.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND RESEARCH

Activities from the NANNP mentoring toolkit provide structure to mentoring relationship development. Recognizing the challenge to recruit and retain NNPs, organizations are encouraged to explore creative solutions to develop and support formalized mentoring programs. Further research is warranted to validate use of NANNP toolkit activities in the establishment and evaluation of a formalized mentoring program in various neonatal intensive care unit settings.

Examining Job Satisfaction and Intent to Stay for Neonatal Nurse Practitioners: The Impact of Mentoring

BACKGROUND

In 2017, the National Association of Neonatal Nurse Practitioners (NANNP) recommended that organizations implement formalized mentoring programs for neonatal nurse practitioners (NNPs). There is significant evidence to support that mentoring positively impacts nurse practitioners' job satisfaction and retention. However, there is a lack of evidence-based literature specific to NNP mentoring.

PURPOSE

Determine the impact of participation in the NANNP formalized mentoring program on job satisfaction and retention for novice and experienced NNPs in an academic medical center in Tennessee.

METHODS

This quality improvement project utilized a secure online survey that included the Misener Nurse Practitioner Job Satisfaction Scale (MNPJSS) and 2 intent-to-stay items prior to implementation of a 6-month mentoring program. Neonatal intensive care unit nurse practitioners completed the same electronic survey at 3 intervals after program implementation to determine the impact of the mentoring program on job satisfaction and intent to stay.

RESULTS

Project results identified a significant difference in MNPJSS scores for participants in a 6-month formal mentoring program using the NANNP tool kit. The MNPJSS scores moderately correlated with intent to stay at 1 year and strongly correlated with intent to stay at 3 years.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The results of this project support the positive impact of a formalized mentoring program on job satisfaction for new graduate nurse practitioners. Recognizing the challenge to recruit and retain NNPs, organizations should explore creative solutions to develop and support formalized mentoring programs.

IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH

Further research is warranted to validate use of the NANNP tool kit in the establishment and evaluation of a formalized mentoring program.Video abstract available at:https://journals.lww.com/advancesinneonatalcare/Pages/videogallery.aspx.

Mentoring New Graduate Nurse Practitioners

There is a critical shortage of neonatal nurse practitioners (NNPs) in the United States. The NNP shortage increases workload and negatively affects job satisfaction, which ultimately impacts patient safety. Therefore, it is imperative to identify strategies to improve job satisfaction and retention. Authors of current evidence supported the connection between mentoring and role transition, job satisfaction, and intent to stay. Mentorship is key to the success of new graduate nurse practitioners as they develop confidence in the nurse practitioner (NP) role. The aim of this integrative review is to examine the existing evidence regarding mentoring of advanced practice nurses and the potential impact on the NNP workforce.