Nurse educators are charged with the role of preparing student nurses for their impending future role as practicing nurses. With the important role played by nurses in the clinical setup, mentorship is necessary to guarantee the system churns out nurses who are competent and adequately skilled in their field of practice . The theory-practice gap for undergraduate and graduate students defines what sort of nurses and nurse educators are created by the education system . In fact, there are higher learning institutions offering degrees with a strong educational emphasis on the preparation of expert and competent nurses set to play the role of nurse educators. The practicum period provides a student nurse with a hands-on experience that is aimed at giving them touch with what happens in the field. Playing this role, it means that the mentor and the rookie nurse have to be in complete sync for the rookie to learn as much as possible. Glitches that might occur during the mentorship period need to be sorted out to ensure optimal learning conditions prevail.

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My mentorship experience was with a medical surgery rehabilitation unit. This unit takes care of post-surgery patients as they recover. In my experience, I had a very knowledgeable mentor who planned for everything during my 150 hours under him. The plan ensured that I was aware of what activity was taking place and the part I play in that role. With such preparation, we functioned smoothly throughout the mentorship period. All possible glitches were ironed out by the plan and proper mentor-rookie communication. From my experience, I learned the virtue of proper work planning and the essence of communication to ensure smooth running of things. Throughout my experience, the challenges that arose were only from time management. This was with great commitment for my mentor. This was however through communication within proper time sets to avoid inconveniences.

References

  • Callara, L. E., & Callara, ‎. R. (2008). Nursing Education Challenges in the 21st Century. New York: Nova Science Publishing.

  • Finkelman, A. W., & C. K. (2010). Professional nursing concepts: competencies for quality leadership. Sudbury: Jones and Bartlett Publishers