Mentoring in Academic Nursing From the Perspectives of Faculty Mentors

Abstract AIM The aim of this study was to create a theoretical framework that describes how mentoring relationships in academic nursing unfold from the perspectives of nurse faculty mentors. BACKGROUND Mentoring is a strategy that can promote the satisfaction and retention of nurse faculty. Although research has focused on the experiences of protégés in mentoring relationships, little is known about mentoring from the perspectives of nurse faculty mentors. METHOD Constructivist grounded theory was used to interview 24 experienced nurse faculty about their mentoring experiences. RESULTS The theoretical framework Growing Together: Mentors’ Perspectives on Mentoring included four phases (getting together, getting going, going together, going beyond) and three strands (relationship with protégé, work of mentoring, emotional impact of mentoring). CONCLUSION Participants experienced a variety of benefits from mentoring while also experiencing a variety of challenges. Findings suggest that more resources are needed for experienced faculty who mentor novice nurse faculty.