Abstract
Purpose Statement: This presentation shares nursing student and faculty perspectives on faculty-led mentoring for prelicensure students. Results of a student needs assessment survey, combined with faculty feedback, informed program components and can guide other nursing schools globally in starting mentoring programs.
Abstract: The demands on prelicensure nursing students in today’s fast-paced and often stressful academic environment can feel overwhelming. Students must adapt to new educational phases and prepare to provide exceptional patient care. Mentoring has been widely recognized in educational literature as an effective strategy to enhance performance, improve retention, and foster overall student success (5). While extensive research exists on mentoring for new nursing faculty and new graduate clinical nurses, there is a notable lack of research focused on faculty-led mentoring of nursing students. The existing literature overlooks the broader nursing educational experience (2).
Methods and Results: Researchers gathered input from nursing students using a survey approach across three semesters of a prelicensure program (n=224) to identify their unique mentoring needs and preferences. Quantitative and qualitative questions asked about students’ needs, mentoring style preferences, and desired types of faculty contact.
Faculty members who volunteered to mentor incoming prelicensure students were randomly assigned students. Faculty mentors received guidance about the purpose and goals of the mentoring program. After the initial semester, faculty (n=26) provided both positive and negative feedback about their mentoring experiences.
Findings showed student preferences for having a faculty mentor, highlighting students’ desires for increased formal, face-to-face mentoring. Faculty mentors also felt that the guided interactions with mentees were valuable. These results will both inform development and highlight benefits of a faculty-led mentoring program.
Implications: By fostering early faculty-student mentoring relationships, students are provided essential academic and personal support during their formal education. This supportive environment will influence both current students and future generations of nurses as they transition into professional nursing roles. Through this initiative, researchers anticipate strengthening the nursing profession globally by instilling a culture of mentorship from the outset of students’ educational journeys.
Notes
References:
1. Evans, M. M., Kowalchik, K., Riley, K., & Adams, L. (2020). Developing nurses through mentoring: It starts in nursing education. Nursing Clinics of North America, 55(1), 61-69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cnur.2019.10.006
2. Heinonen, A., Kääriäinen, M., Juntunen, J., & Mikkonen, K. (2019). Nursing students’ experiences of nurse teacher mentoring and beneficial digital technologies in a clinical practice setting. Nurse Education in Practice, 40, 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2019.102631
3. Majors, E., Raber, A.M., Garrigues, L., & Moceri, J. (2022). Peer-mentoring: A call to create inclusive programs to support all students' ability to be successful. Journal of Nursing Education, 61(11), 633-635. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20221010-01
4. Okanga, A.A., Ochanda, D.A., & Okoth, J.M. (2023). Effects of peer mentorship on academic performance among Bachelor of Science nursing students in Kenyan universities. International Journal of Nursing Education, 15(4). https://doi.org/10.37506/ijone.v15i4.20035
5. Olaolorunpo, O. (2019). Mentoring in nursing: A concept analysis. International Journal of Caring Sciences, 12(1), 142-148. Retrieved from: https://www.internationaljournalofcaringsciences.org/docs/16_olorufremi_12_1.pdf
6. Stubin, C. A., Ruth-Sahd, L., & Dahan, T. A. (2024). Promoting nursing student mental health wellness: The impact of resilience building and faculty support. Nurse Educator, 49(3), 119-124. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNE.0000000000001535
7. Voss, J. G., Alfes, C. M., Clark, A., Lilly, K., & Moore, S. (2022). Why mentoring matters for new graduates transitioning to practice: Implications for nurse leaders. Nurse Leader, 20(4), 399-403. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mnl.2022.01.003
Sigma Membership
Non-member
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Mentoring and Coaching, Transition to Practice or Onboarding, Nursing Students, Prelicensure Nursing Students, Faculty-led Mentoring
Recommended Citation
Dunn, Stephanie; Johnson, Jill; Hansen, Halie J.; and Jensen, Francine, "Faculty-Led Student Mentoring: Student and Faculty Perspectives" (2025). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 67.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2025/presentations_2025/67
Conference Name
36th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Seattle, Washington, 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
Faculty-Led Student Mentoring: Student and Faculty Perspectives
Seattle, Washington, USA
Purpose Statement: This presentation shares nursing student and faculty perspectives on faculty-led mentoring for prelicensure students. Results of a student needs assessment survey, combined with faculty feedback, informed program components and can guide other nursing schools globally in starting mentoring programs.
Abstract: The demands on prelicensure nursing students in today’s fast-paced and often stressful academic environment can feel overwhelming. Students must adapt to new educational phases and prepare to provide exceptional patient care. Mentoring has been widely recognized in educational literature as an effective strategy to enhance performance, improve retention, and foster overall student success (5). While extensive research exists on mentoring for new nursing faculty and new graduate clinical nurses, there is a notable lack of research focused on faculty-led mentoring of nursing students. The existing literature overlooks the broader nursing educational experience (2).
Methods and Results: Researchers gathered input from nursing students using a survey approach across three semesters of a prelicensure program (n=224) to identify their unique mentoring needs and preferences. Quantitative and qualitative questions asked about students’ needs, mentoring style preferences, and desired types of faculty contact.
Faculty members who volunteered to mentor incoming prelicensure students were randomly assigned students. Faculty mentors received guidance about the purpose and goals of the mentoring program. After the initial semester, faculty (n=26) provided both positive and negative feedback about their mentoring experiences.
Findings showed student preferences for having a faculty mentor, highlighting students’ desires for increased formal, face-to-face mentoring. Faculty mentors also felt that the guided interactions with mentees were valuable. These results will both inform development and highlight benefits of a faculty-led mentoring program.
Implications: By fostering early faculty-student mentoring relationships, students are provided essential academic and personal support during their formal education. This supportive environment will influence both current students and future generations of nurses as they transition into professional nursing roles. Through this initiative, researchers anticipate strengthening the nursing profession globally by instilling a culture of mentorship from the outset of students’ educational journeys.
Description
During prelicensure training, student nurses face significant demands adapting to new educational challenges and clinical requirements. Concerned about student success, researchers conducted a student needs assessment survey and combined results with faculty feedback to inform the components of a faculty-let mentoring program.