The Academy for Medical-Surgical Nurses has launched a mentoring program with online resources available to nurses in all specialties, including experienced nurses who may be changing jobs or settings.
The free program is designed to help nurses in areas such as developing strong relationships, meeting challenges and providing better patient care. It may be of special help to new nurses, of whom AMSN said "an alarming number" leave their jobs — sometimes even the profession — within the first year.
"Having a caring and experienced mentor makes all the difference in the world," Cynthia Nowicki Hnatiuk, RN, EdD, CAE, executive director of AMSN, said in a news release. "AMSN did the research, listened to nurses and concluded that mentoring is the single most effective way to help nurses learn a new role and increase their confidence."
The site includes downloadable guides for mentors, mentees and site coordinators. Each component contains tools, management plans, evaluations, and details on the respective roles, as well as tips and surveys designed in a self-directed format. Along with the guides, the website has related resources and reading on mentoring.
Hnatiuk said AMSN initially developed a more structured mentoring program, Nurses Nurturing Nurses (N3), in 2002. The tools used in the N3 program were highly rated and are now provided in a self-directed, online format for individuals and facilities to customize a mentoring program based on their own needs.
For more information about AMSN and the mentoring program, visit http://bit.ly/wQ0ufi.
