Development of a Formalized Mentorship Program for Newly Licensed Registered Nurses at a Large Community Medical Center

With mentorship being a key to addressing several issues at a large community medical center, the leadership of the institution engaged with students of a Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) Program to conduct a thorough assessment. This paper addresses the charge for a standardized and formalized evidence-based approach to a nurse mentorship program to address key areas that enhance not only the work environment but also the quality of care. These key areas include the 1) promotion of professional development and engagement via 2) acquisition of skills necessary to achieve nursing competence, 3) address lateral violence, 4) increase in staff retention rates and 5) increase in job satisfaction. A systematic needs assessment was conducted, along with a literature review, to inform a recommendation for the development of a formalized mentorship program that would coincide with an already in place new grad residency program for newly licensed registered nurses (NLRN) at the large community medical center. The root cause analysis indicated that individuals that were hired into the new grad residency left their position within twelve months at a significant rate. As such, the outcomes of the literature review and needs assessment indicated that a formalized mentorship structure would help not only with creating a more healthy work environment but also create significant cost savings for the institution. While the program was not implemented at the institution, evaluation tools are proposed for the appropriate ongoing assessment and growth of the quality improvement project