Clinical Mentorship in Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Clinical Mentorship in Nursing - Essay Example Standards for Nursing mentorship includes the question of 'What makes a good nurse' followed by a debate about how such standards can be developed through theory and training. Traditionally clinical students learn skills through the experience of being supervisees, taking on the model presented to them by their supervisor, or by adapting the therapeutic skills learned in their training as therapists. While these methods have some merit they also have considerable limitations like bad practice can easily be handed down from generation to generation without some new import from an external source. While emphasising on teaching clinical setting, I would focus on one-on-one relationship initiated at the behest of the protege. This relationship is marked by high ethical standards and clear boundaries as both parties experience mutual benefits and personal and/or professional growth. Mentoring functions are carried out within the context of an ongoing, caring relationship between the mentor and the protg so I suggest that mentoring is not a single task or training episode, a group experience, or a preassigned relationship that is unidirectional in benefit. The relationship task would help me to lead the professionals towards engaging in the process of self-assessment. Self-assessment has the potential to empower both the mentor and the protege because each may recognise personal strengths and weaknesses and understand how these characteristics may affect the mentoring relationship. Furthermore, it allows mentors and proteges to appropriately and confidently establishes relationsh ips with other like-minded professionals. (Black et al, 2004) If mentoring is to be successful, faculty members must be willing to participate in the relationship and to be informed about the responsibilities of it. For mentors the matter of concern is that they must balance the demands of their positions e.g., clinical caseloads, program responsibilities, teaching, research and service requirements with their availability to students as the impact of these factors affects the ability and desire of some mentors to form meaningful relationships with students. (Black et al, 2004) An analysis of the environment can alert mentors and proteges to the social and political norms of a setting. Conducting a systematic assessment will empower mentors and proteges to recognise and align their abilities, expectations, and responsibilities. Both can actively gauge their compatibility for this type of relationship based on factual information rather than on speculation. (Black et al, 2004) Clinical psychology graduates were surveyed and 38 per cent of trainees reported a major conflict with their supervisor, which inhibited their ability to learn from supervision. Therapeutic orientation, style of supervision and personality issues were the main areas of conflict. (Fleming & Steen, 2003) The Teaching/Learning Task Mentors need to be clinically competent and knowledgeable, and have good teaching and interpersonal skills, that's why I consider myself helpful in supervisory behaviours by giving direct guidance on clinical work, linking theory and practice, joint problem-solving, offering feedback, reassurance and role models. Trainees need clear feedback about their errors; corrections must be conveyed unambiguously so that