The literature suggests that mentoring is an important factor in the development of nurse leaders. Preliminary evidence suggests that self-efficacy may provide the conceptual link between receipt of mentoring functions and leadership performance.
The purpose of this study was to contribute to the scientific knowledge base that informs nursing administration by examining the contribution of mentoring to development of leadership self-efficacy (LSE) among nurses. The conceptual framework that guided the study integrated theoretical perspectives from mentoring, leadership, and self-efficacy theories. A prospective, repeated measures design was used. One hundred Registered Nurses completed measures of LSE at the beginning and conclusion of leadership training and three months following training, and mentoring just prior to the final LSE measurement.
Hierarchical regression analysis was used to assess the effect of mentoring on self-efficacy for each of five leadership practices. The change in LSE levels over the course of the leadership training intervention was included as a control for the effect of training. Participant administrative experience and professional education were included as controls.
Study results did not support the proposition that protégé exposure to career and psychosocial mentoring would lead to higher levels of LSE. Mentorship did not predict self-efficacy for any of the leadership practices. The impact of participants’ mentoring experiences prior to the study, low statistical power due to a small sample size, homogeneity of respondents with respect to their mentorship experiences, and the possibility of a ceiling effect for LSE are possible explanations for these results. Results did suggest that mentored nurses were able to enhance their LSE during leadership training, and to sustain this increase upon return to their home organizations.
Findings also provided insight into the prevalence of mentoring among nurses who are actively pursuing leadership development. Nearly two-thirds of the respondents were mentored during the study period, and these nurses reported that their mentoring relationships were active and positive.
Mentoring continues to be advanced as an important contributor to leadership development among nurses. This study reinforces the need for further exploration of this relationship to inform and guide developmental interventions and allocation of resources.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TORONTO/oai:tspace.library.utoronto.ca:1807/17732 |
| Date | 23 September 2009 |
| Creators | Blastorah, Margaret M. |
| Contributors | McGillis Hall, Linda |
| Source Sets | University of Toronto |
| Language | en_ca |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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