Have you ever felt stagnant in your nursing career, wondering if nursing had anything left to give you - or if you had something left to give back to nursing? Have you been wanting to work with someone to help you identify some new ways of handling old situations, or to help you build skills in areas of nursing which are new to you? Or, are you a new nurse just learning the hospital culture and want to "learn the ropes" so you won't feel overwhelmed with your new role?

If this description sounds familiar, then the California Nurse Mentorship Program may be an option for you! This program, funded through a grant provided by the California Endowment and administered by the California Nurses Foundation in conjunction with Catholic Healthcare West, pairs experienced and seasoned nurses with new nurses, or nurses who would like this opportunity.

WHY MENTORSHIP?

Nurses have been informally mentoring each other for generations, but changes in hospitals and health care delivery systems have made it increasingly difficult for nurses to feel comfortable in this role. Consequently, nurses tend to change jobs frequently and often report feeling "lost" in their profession. This cycle ultimately leads to increase health care costs, decreased job satisfaction, and burnout. Mentorship is a proven way to help nurses to feel support and satisfaction in their jobs and to help them grow as professional nurses.

WHAT IS A MENTOR?

A mentor is an experienced nurse leader - a role model who enjoys and has expertise at helping other nurses build their skills to become better nurses. Other professional organizations use mentorship programs to help their members gain skills to help them grow professionally. Mentors chosen for this program all have experience in their field of nursing and have experience and training in working with nurses who want to expand in their role as care giver or manager. They all have made a commitment to their profession to help the nurses they work with to become even better nurses!

HOW IT WORKS

When you enter the mentorship program, you will choose or will be assigned to a mentor who has been specifically trained to work with nurses and help them identify what they want to do with their nursing careers. Mentors all work within the same hospital organization as the mentored nurses but may or may not work on the same unit.

At the beginning of the program you will be asked as to the type of nurse you would like to be mentored by. Would you prefer a nurse who works in a specific area or discipline, or would you like your nurse to be someone who works on your unit? Is the gender, ethnicity or age of the nurse you will be working with important to you? You will be asked this information to make sure you are matched with a nurse who you can feel comfortable with as you develop your working relationship. Whenever possible, you will be allowed to choose your nurse from a list of available mentors. Once matched with an appropriate mentor, you will spend some time discussing and documenting your individual goals in nursing. Your mentor will be your facilitator to help you attain your goals and will be available as a resource when challenges arise.