Based on the literature reviewed for this study, empirical investigations of mentorship in the filed of nursing and medicine as well, has only produced results based on the academic and professional outcomes of the program. In the study by Owens and Patton (2003), they proposed a different approach in measuring the effectiveness of the mentoring program. Instead of measuring the variables quantitatively, the authors adopted an approach which based the effectiveness of mentorship based on aesthetic characteristics, such as care and compassion, for the personal aspects of young proteges.
It is understandable for Owens and Patton (2003) to suggest this approach, since the changes and transition from nursing college to real-life professional is usually unpredictable for young nurses. They endure different kinds of challenges, and even become disillusioned during their first year in the nursing practice. Some students adapt well to the transitions, while other wither fall into psychological and behavioral changes, to actual quitting the nursing profession to pursue other careers.
The role of mentors as a role model is often overlooked, yet they impart a certain amount of strength in facing challenges, problem solving skills, goal-setting, and decision making skills compared to non-mentored counterparts (Ronsten, Andersson, and Gustafsson, 2005)). Goals of Mentorship Program The prospective benefits of the mentoring program includes specialist training in an individual’s personal goals, strategies, and methods.
It is very important that before beginning the introduction of mentor-protege relationships, goals must be address to follow objectives which are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely (SMART) (Waters, Clarke, Ingall, and Dean-Jones, 2000). The specification of goals and aims are determined to give direction between the mentor and the protege to start building from what they indicated as their goals and objectives. Short term aims may be making the student become adjusted to the new environment, and his or her new peers.
Towards the long objective, students learn valuable real situations in health care facilitates through experience. The Mentorship Program Mentoring programs can be assessed through various techniques, analysis, and recommendations of the literature studied. As a formal process in evaluating the mentoring program proposed by the author, the paper will include a selection of health care facilities with a mentoring program for their students and details on how different activities may be able to build, strengthen, and evaluate the relationships.