Other Titles
Rapid Presentation Round
Abstract
Background: New nurses experience stress and challenges transitioning from student to nurse (Crismon et al., 2021). Peer mentor programs provide emotional support for new graduate nurses during this time, helping to promote clinical competency, confidence, job satisfaction, and retention (Bowers, 2022; Maroone, 2023; Vidal & Olley, 2021). Despite the benefits, peer mentor initiatives are not widely adopted in healthcare settings (Reebals et al., 2021). Our program filled that gap by boosting morale and confidence by creating an emotionally supportive environment.
Methods: Mentor leaders (n=3) sought evidence-based sources and consulted with organizational wellness experts. The leaders trained senior nurses (n=12) in mentorship, giving and receiving feedback, moral injury coaching, and resilience guidance. Each was then paired with a new graduate nurse mentee (n=15), utilizing a survey for compatibility. The pairs communicated weekly to discuss experiences and concerns.
Monthly meetings were held for mentors and mentees to facilitate peer support, knowledge exchange, and an opportunity for feedback. The program also included newsletters highlighting aspects of mentorship and social outings fostering camaraderie with stress-relieving activities outside of the workplace.
Feedback was collected through questionnaires distributed to mentees at baseline, one-month, three-months, and six-months post-implementation. Mentees were asked about their perceptions of mentor effectiveness using a Likert scale, true and false questions, and free text. The surveys and insights gathered during monthly meetings informed PDSA cycles for adjusting the program, ensuring the program effectively met the evolving needs of the new graduate nurses.
Results: Launched in July 2023 with 12 mentor-mentee pairs, collecting mentee feedback for six months. Mentees reinforced mentors providing emotional support and safety, reporting this explicitly in 73% (11/15) of the free-text responses collected in project surveys. Mentees affirmed the mentor’s offered friendship, clinical guidance, and mental health support.
Conclusions/Implications: Peer mentor programs promote confidence and competence during the transition to practice, equipping new nurses to handle the stress of working at the point of care. The emotional, clinical, and social support seen during the program highlights the mentor’s integral role in the new nurse’s personal and professional growth.
Notes
References: Bowers, T. B. (2022). Establishing a new graduate nurse peer mentoring program [Doctoral project, University of South Carolina]. USC Scholar Commons. https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/dnp_projects/7
Crismon, D., Mansfield, K.J., Hiatt, S.O., Christensen, S.S., & Cloyes, K.G. (2021). COVID-19 pandemic impact on experiences and perceptions of nurse graduates. Journal of Professional Nursing, 37(5), 857 – 865. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2021.06.008
Maroone, C. (2023). Implementing a peer and mentor transition support program for new graduate psychiatric nurse practitioners [Doctoral project, Yale University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (Order No. 30523887). https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/implementing-peer-mentor-transition-support/docview/2845405581/se-2
Reebals C, Wood T, & Markaki A. (2022). Transition to practice for new nurse graduates: Barriers and mitigating strategies. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 44(4), 416-429. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0193945921997925
Vidal, J. A. M., & Olley, R. (2021). Systematic literature review of the effects of clinical mentoring on new graduate registered nurses' clinical performance, job satisfaction and job retention. Asia Pacific Journal of Health Management, 16(4), 70-82. https://doi.org/10.24083/apjhm.v16i4.739
Sigma Membership
Non-member
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Mentoring and Coaching, Acute Care, Stress and Coping
Recommended Citation
Edwards, Stephanie Kaye; Thurgood, Caley; Bailey, Brooklyn Kate; and Christensen, Scott S., "Acute Medical Surgical Peer Mentor Program" (2025). Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE). 134.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2025/presentations_2025/134
Conference Name
Creating Healthy Work Environments
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Acute Medical Surgical Peer Mentor Program
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Background: New nurses experience stress and challenges transitioning from student to nurse (Crismon et al., 2021). Peer mentor programs provide emotional support for new graduate nurses during this time, helping to promote clinical competency, confidence, job satisfaction, and retention (Bowers, 2022; Maroone, 2023; Vidal & Olley, 2021). Despite the benefits, peer mentor initiatives are not widely adopted in healthcare settings (Reebals et al., 2021). Our program filled that gap by boosting morale and confidence by creating an emotionally supportive environment.
Methods: Mentor leaders (n=3) sought evidence-based sources and consulted with organizational wellness experts. The leaders trained senior nurses (n=12) in mentorship, giving and receiving feedback, moral injury coaching, and resilience guidance. Each was then paired with a new graduate nurse mentee (n=15), utilizing a survey for compatibility. The pairs communicated weekly to discuss experiences and concerns.
Monthly meetings were held for mentors and mentees to facilitate peer support, knowledge exchange, and an opportunity for feedback. The program also included newsletters highlighting aspects of mentorship and social outings fostering camaraderie with stress-relieving activities outside of the workplace.
Feedback was collected through questionnaires distributed to mentees at baseline, one-month, three-months, and six-months post-implementation. Mentees were asked about their perceptions of mentor effectiveness using a Likert scale, true and false questions, and free text. The surveys and insights gathered during monthly meetings informed PDSA cycles for adjusting the program, ensuring the program effectively met the evolving needs of the new graduate nurses.
Results: Launched in July 2023 with 12 mentor-mentee pairs, collecting mentee feedback for six months. Mentees reinforced mentors providing emotional support and safety, reporting this explicitly in 73% (11/15) of the free-text responses collected in project surveys. Mentees affirmed the mentor’s offered friendship, clinical guidance, and mental health support.
Conclusions/Implications: Peer mentor programs promote confidence and competence during the transition to practice, equipping new nurses to handle the stress of working at the point of care. The emotional, clinical, and social support seen during the program highlights the mentor’s integral role in the new nurse’s personal and professional growth.
Description
Peer mentor programs effectively support new nurses during their transition to practice. This session highlights strategies for enhancing clinical competence, confidence, and job satisfaction, demonstrating how structured mentorship promotes emotional support and professional growth.