This study explores and analyses the experiences and perceptions of community nurses (District Nurses, Health Visitors and School Nurses) involved in mentoring Project 2000/Diploma in Higher Education student nurses within one site of a College of Nursing. It addresses the significance of mentorship in nursing education and in particular, the mentoring role of community nurses from their own perspective. Conceptual frameworks derived from the literature review on mentorship in nursing education are adopted in operationalising the research aims and the formulation of questions for data collection. The exploratory and descriptive nature of the study lends itself to utilising two methods of gathering data: postal survey questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. One hundred (100) respondents participated in the former, while twenty (20) informants took part in seventeen (17) interviews carried out by the researcher over a period of four months. The findings of the study indicate that mentoring Project 2000 student nurses is a complex, time consuming and skilled activity, and that there are positive as well as constraining factors which affect the effectiveness of the mentoring process and the quality of the mentors. It also suggests that mentors require educational and managerial support, continuing professional development, and recognition for their role. Recommendations are made for improving the mentoring process and the quality of mentors. It is hoped that the information will improve the quality and utility of nurse education, and enhance the quality of interpersonal relationships between mentors, students, and clients or patients in the community.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:265448 |
| Date | January 1999 |
| Creators | Miller, Leng Chan |
| Publisher | University of Bristol |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://hdl.handle.net/1983/a7ffac92-cb56-4d84-a95a-c3750d530759 |
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