Importance of and Satisfaction with Characteristics of Mentoring Among Nursing Faculty

The nursing faculty shortage and its contributing factors have been well documented in the literature. Contributory factors include lack of graduate prepared faculty, difficulty recruiting and retaining faculty, and a decrease in job satisfaction within the faculty role. The use of mentoring programs has the potential to impact the nursing faculty shortage by increasing job satisfaction while providing novice faculty with additional support during the transition from clinical nurse to nursing faculty. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between the importance of and satisfaction with characteristics of mentoring in full time nursing faculty teaching in baccalaureate degree programs or higher. This study aimed to determine the degree to which nursing faculty perceive the importance of characteristics of the mentor and mentoring relationship, as well as the level of satisfaction with the mentor and mentoring relationship. Benner’s theory of novice to expert was used as the theoretical framework for this cross-sectional study. Full-time nursing faculty in a Midwestern state were surveyed using convenience sampling. The survey instrument consisted of demographic data, modified Perceptions of Mentoring Relationships Survey, and satisfaction with mentoring. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics with measures of central tendency, independent t-test, and standard deviation. The results did not demonstrate a statistically significant relationship among survey items; however, mentoring characteristics that proved to be both of high importance and high satisfaction were identified. Deeper insight into the characteristics of mentoring that are of importance and produce satisfaction is essential into the development of formal mentoring programs to make positive, lasting impacts on the nursing faculty shortage