Kaleida Health Mentor Program

Mentor

Goal

• To support a culture of retention in the new graduate population via professional mentorship

Objectives• To understand the difference between mentors and

preceptors• To understand the challenges facing new nurses• To understand the mentor role including

boundaries, confidentiality, and responsibilities• To identify the effect of generational differences on

the work environment

Mentor

• Definition: Experienced nurse who shares knowledge with less experienced nurses to help advance their careers

Preceptor

• Definition: Nurse who assumes responsibility for teaching a novice

Mentor vs. Preceptor

• Differences: – A mentor assumes a long-term relationship throughout a

career while a preceptor relationship ends with orientation and transition from novice to competent beginner.

– A preceptor assists with the development of a clinically competent nurse while a mentor assists with the development of “the right stuff”: heart, courage, brains

Relationship between mentor and mentee is built on:

• Mutual respect

• Common interest

• Shared values

Mentor

• Professional role model• Communication/demeanor, clinical role model,

professional behavior• Positive attitude about nursing and organization• Mentee must want to emulate mentor• Connect with, as nurse and as a person• Both committed to professional growth of mentee

Characteristics - Mentor

• Patient

• Enthusiastic

• Knowledgeable

• Sense of humor

• Respectful of team

• Committed to profession and organization

Knowledge

• Encompass wide variety of areas• Where to park when called in at 2AM• Insurance• Personalities of MDs• Help with sense of belonging in ongoing

engagement• Help mentee feel sense of control

Without Engagement and/or Control

• Mentee feels like an outsider

• Performance drops

• Attitude becomes negative

• Separation from organization

Humor

• Self deprecating is okay

• Take the job seriously, but not yourself

• No need to be perfect

Respect

• Mentor has respect of peers because of competency, flexibility, tolerance, ability to seek and utilize resources.

• Non-threatening and non-judgmental

Responsibilities

• Build a professional relationship based on knowing the mentee as a person

• Invite to lunch, nursing grand rounds, professional meetings

• Access standards, P&Ps, ECCO• Access resources library, educators, EAP,

Human Resources

Communication

• Open communication – readily expresses feelings

• Stoic vs. cries easily

• Assertive vs. aggressive

• Role of staff nurse at Kaleida

Boundaries• Confidential – able to express fears, anxieties,

insecurities• Preceptor has responsibility for clinical practice with

educator and manager• Break confidence only if safety issue for patient

and/or mentee• Encourage mentee to contact EAP, Human

Resources, manager, director, Diane Ceravolo, Sandy Boneberg

Boundaries

• If intrusive – off hours – set time to contact, can use e-mail if mutually agree

• Touch base at least weekly for first six months

• Then two times/month for next six months

Value of Mentorship

The opportunity to support and nurture the critical values of nurses and nursing – quality, integrity, compassion, and professional loyalty

Turnover Statistics

• ICU 14.6%

• Med/Surg 14.1%

• Average hospital nurse turnover nationally 21%

• Vacancy rate 10.6% nationally

Costs of Turnover Nationally

• Higher cost of deliver of care 69%• 54% employees use travelers & agency• 51% Emergency Department overcrowding• 26% Diversions more than 4 hours per week• 25% Closing beds• 11% Increase time for surgery• 6% Reduction or elimination of services

Benner – Theorist – How Nurses Learn

• Novice to Expert– Novice– Advanced Beginner– Competent– Proficient– Expert

Novice Nurse• Beginners have had no experience of the situations

in which they are expected to perform• They are learning and applying the knowledge they

have gained from previous clinical experiences and class room theory

• They are learning vital signs and what they actually mean to patient care

• They are learning to perform bed baths and performing assessments at the same time

Novice Nurse• They are learning to answer lights and pass meds

at the same time• They are learning how to organize their time from

going to 1 or 2 patients, as in most clinicals, to 5 and 6 patients

• They are learning that a peer is often not available to assist with the care of the stable patient, as they have done so in clinical

• They have relied on their peers for expert support

Novice Nurse

• A novice nurse is often unsure of what to do next. Problem solving and delegation is limited.

• Nurse and patient relationships need to be developed and tuned.

• Speaking up and taking orders from a physician is a challenging issue for most novice nurses. Using the SBAR is an excellent tool for this reason.

Novice Nurse Challenges• Educating families• Talking with patients about DNR issues• Talking with doctors about the patient’s care• Making a referral• Patient advocacy• Asking for assistance• Afraid to ask questions• Afraid of being labeled

Generational Issues

• The significant life events that occur in your generation determine how you see and function in the world

• Each generation brings it’s own gifts and talents to the workplace

Baby Boomers (1943-1960)

• 49-66 years old

• Vietnam conflict

• Kennedy assassination

• Kent State incident

• People live to work

• Build their careers first and family around it

Generation X (1961-1981)

• 28-48 years old

• AIDS

• Three Mile Island Disaster

• Challenger explosion

• Corporate downsizing

• Rise in crime and divorce rates

Generation X• Working parents• Latchkey children• Sesame Street and TV• Not as achievement oriented as the Baby Boomers

before them• Short attention spans• Lack of respect for authority• Debt

Generation Y (1982-2000)

• Also called the Nexter generation

• 9-27 years old

• Small families

• Parents busy with their children and their activity schedules

Generation Y/Nexter

• They have never experienced a time without TV, telephones, microwave ovens and the internet

• Most protected and watched over generation

• Technologically well informed

Hints for Instruction

• Short attention span

• Prefers bite size information

• Short term vs. long term

• Skills vs. knowledge

• Organized activities

Hints for Instruction

• Teamwork and group activities

• Rewarded for participation – not achievement

• Easily bored

• Instant feedback

Teaching Strategies for Both Xers and Nexters• Break information into short, manageable bits

• Give them a way to interact with the information

• Give lots of feedback

• Give clear deadlines and expectations

• Be accessible

• Explain why they are doing what they are doing

Strengthen communication between nurses and physicians

• Help educate physicians on nurse’s role• Remind physicians we are on the same team with

shared goals• Keep patients the focus of conversations and

specifically quality care and safety• Promote solidarity within nursing staff• Acknowledge positive relationships with physicians• Take personal responsibility for communication

breakdowns and use tools• Promote nursing, professionalism via education and

certification

Additional resources helpful for mentors:

Colonghi, P. (2009). Mentoring? Take the LEAD. Nursing Management, 40(3), 15-17.

Curtin, L.L. (2008). On meaning and spirit in leadership. Nurse Leader, 6(5), 32-36, 57.

Sherman, R.O. & Murphy, N. (2009). The many merits of mentoring. American Nurse Today, 4(2), 24-25

Acknowledgment

Generational and Novice to Expert information provided by Abigail Mitchell, RN, MS, Assistant Professor, D’Youville College