Student nurse mentoring : an evaluative study of the mentor's perspective

Our evaluative study aimed to capture the 'mentor voice' and provide an insight into the mentoring role from the perspective of the nurse mentor. Participants from each of the four fields of nursing practice were asked to comment on the satisfying and frustrating aspects of their mentoring role. The narrative data gleaned from the evaluation was evaluated utilising qualitative analysis and subsequently organised into key themes around the student-mentor relationship and the clinical environment. Given that the landscape of nurse education is set to change; in terms of new standards from the professional bodies and the political drivers, not to mention the changing profile of the student nurse; it is hoped that our findings may to help shape the relationship between the mentor, Organisation,student and the Higher Education Institution and possibly spark some debate around different models of mentoring