Educational Perspectives: Mentors, Protégés, and the Mentoring Relationship

Engaging in an effective mentoring relationship increases self-confidence, self-efficacy, productivity, and overall career satisfaction for both the mentor and protégé. As a result, mentorship can better prepare protégés and improve their resilience to navigate through ongoing changes in the health care environment. In this article, considerations for both the protégé and mentor are discussed as a continuum, beginning with the medical or nursing professional who seeks mentorship early in professional training to an individual who transitions into a more established career and becomes a mentor to others. In addition, special considerations for mentoring women, minorities, and people of other generations are discussed.