Mentorship: the students' views

Abstract

Whilst the concept of mentorship is not without its critics it is generally regarded as a valid way of supporting student nurses. There is much academic literature concerning mentorship but little recorded empirical evidence to support its use. This study goes some way to correcting this deficit by looking at mentorship from the students point of view. Following on from a pilot study 19 third-year student nurses were asked to complete a 10 item questionnaire concerning their experiences of mentorship. Analysis of the data suggested that the students found mentorship to be a valid means of support, particularly in the early stages of their training. Mentors were seen as fulfilling a socialising role as they passed on norms of behaviour and ward routines. Nevertheless, the students did not become dependent on their mentors and as training progressed they noticed the relationship became more equal. Whilst the varied support offered to pre-registration students was seen to be of value, finding an acceptable name to describe this eclectic process is problematic, given that the support included aspects of preceptorship and clinical supervision as well as mentorship.