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Immediate Openings: Role Models and Mentors

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Laura Wisniewski, RN

Laura Wisniewski RN is an educator, speaker and writer with 25 years of front line nursing experience. Her company, Nursing Voice Communications, provides empowering, solution-oriented presentations on nursing workforce issues. Her articles encourage and challenge nurses to improve healthcare.

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More articles from this author:

• Surviving Workforce Reorganization
• Mastering Behavioral Interviews
• Dream Job

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The status of role model is awarded to an individual by someone else, often without their awareness. Encounters may be brief, intermittent or extended over a period of time. The role model exhibits certain skills or behaviors that are emulated by another. It is possible to have several role models at the same time. It is also possible to be a role model to many individuals.

Preceptors are experienced staff members that assist in the training of new nurses during orientation. The role of preceptor is an assigned one-to-one relationship for a pre-set time limit. The focus is real world application and evaluation. Many preceptors are excellent role models and go on to become mentors.

A mentor is a wise counselor or a career role model to emulate. Classic mentoring is a voluntary relationship between two people that develops over time. Two factors must exist in order for mentoring to occur. First, the mentor must see potential in the protégé and be willing to help develop that potential. Second, the protégé values the mentor’s experience and wishes to learn from the mentor. Mentoring fosters collegial relationships, enhances self esteem, and promotes professional development.

The demand for role models and mentors in nursing has never been greater. Experts predict a shortfall of 500,000 to 1 million nurses in the United States by the year 2020. A combination of economic and social factors account for the current nursing shortage. Aging Baby Boomers are placing an unprecedented demand on healthcare. The largest demographic group of nurses is comprised of women from the Baby Boomer generation; many of which plan to retire within the next decade. The nursing profession has continued to struggle to attract younger generations, men, and minorities. There is also a severe shortage of nursing instructors and qualified applicants are being turned away from nursing schools.

The transfer of nursing knowledge is a complex experiential process. Nursing skills cannot safely be learned by trial and error. In order to advance through Benner’s nursing skill development stages, from novice to expert, nurses need the guidance of other nurses. Upon hire into an organization graduate nurses are provided an initial orientation period with a preceptor. However, it takes 2-3 years of experience in the same practice setting to become a competent practitioner. Many new nurses are exiting their positions or the profession before ever reaching this level. The reasons cited most often for leaving are lack of training and support.

After successfully leaping over the hurdles of nursing school acceptance, care plans, case studies, exams, clinical rotations, state boards and job interviews; graduate nurses may find themselves lost in the gap. The gap is the danger zone between theory taught in nursing school and the real world of nursing.

Nursing socialization can be very intimidating to a new nurse. The responsibilities are great and much is expected in a very short time. Think back for a moment, to your first job as a nurse; after the initial honeymoon phase, how long was it before reality shock set in? Role models and mentors can help navigate the rough waters of this transition process.

Unfortunately, there are still some nurses that sabotage, instead of nurture graduate nurses. These individuals serve as horrible examples of what not to do. In nursing literature the unpleasant stereotype; “nurses eat their young”, has been replaced with other terms such as lateral violence, horizontal violence or bullying. No matter the name, the behavior remains the same and poses a threat to retention. Exceptional role models and mentors are willing to intervene and serve as advocates.

A role model and mentor

I was a new ER nurse, eager and easily excitable. Each time a patient had a PVC on the cardiac monitor, I would have one too.

Trudy could handle anything that came through the door. She knew things. Doctors listened when she spoke. No matter how crazy busy it got, she treated every patient in the emergency room as if they were the only patient. Yet she still had the time, energy and patience to show me the ropes.

She could run a code on one of the nursing units while the doctor was busy with another cardiac arrest in the ER. She knew when a middle aged man complaining of a “funny feeling” was having a heart attack. Trudy could tell if a woman in labor would make it to the OB department or if she needed to set up for an emergent delivery. I witnessed her calming aggressive intoxicated patients with the tone of her voice. She held the hands of dying patients and hugged strangers who had just lost a loved one.

One evening a young father carried his ten month old, dusky colored daughter though the double doors of the department. As I started to rush toward them, Trudy stopped me before I had a chance to move. She quickly handed me a surgical mask and told me; “That baby has meningitis.” Her diagnosis was later confirmed. Trudy simultaneously cared for the child, the parents and her protégé.

I told myself, that one day I wanted to be just like her. I have spent my career attempting to keep that promise. I encourage every experienced nurse to become a Trudy for a generation of new nurses.