Mentoring Nurses

Mentoring Nurses Have you ever thought that you might like to share your experience or expertise? If so, inquire with your human resource department about being a mentor. If they don’t offer programs for mentoring, inquire at a local school for nurses. You can offer real life experiences, and answer questions for someone about to enter the profession.

Mentoring 101 The number one rule in mentoring is to be realistic. Don’t make the job sound like a piece of cake; you will only be setting them up. There are good days and bad, so be honest and say that. Things are not always easy, and mistakes will happen. Always advise that anyone making a mistake should own up to it. Nurses are not perfect, and accidents happen, we are just human.

Talk about the good things in a nursing profession. Nurses are in general more dedicated to their coworkers than any other profession. This is great because when you need help, advice, or guidance, a coworker will be right there to assist you. There is truly a unique bond among most nurses; everyone helps everyone out whenever the need arises.

Discuss the great things nurses do for the patients they care for. Helping a sick or injured patient to recover and walk out, is the goal of every nurse.

It’s always nice to see a patient re-gain health, and it’s an honor to know you were a part of the reason.

Related: How to Manage the Mess between Notes Talk about the details that are imperative. Patient names, right dosage, right medications, it is all vital in nursing, getting it wrong could cause death. Most hospitals have check systems in place to help with getting injections and medications safely delivered to the right person. New nurses should be advised to take their time, it’s better to be a little slow than to make an irreversible error.

Tell the nurses the most important thing of all for a new nurse to remember is to ask for assistance when needed. Don’t proceed with something that you are unsure of, or something that could cause harm to a patient. No one will ever fault a new nurse for double checking that they have something right, it takes time to build confidence when dealing with human life.

Offer a realistic expectation of the patient’s families. Some are great, supportive of their loved ones, and only want to offer their help to the nurse.

However, on occasion you may get a family or family member that has some very unrealistic expectations for their loved ones. You can coach the new nurse into developing a knack to have some assertiveness when needed.

Allowing patients and their families to dictate what you do is not a good habit to get into. It’s best to stick to a routine, and advise family members that this is how things are done. Accommodate when you can within reason, but your job as a nurse tending to the patient is first and foremost, and should be the main consideration.

Related: Working in a Nursing Home Working with a new nurse can be very rewarding, as you are introducing them to their career. What you say and do will most likely stay with them throughout their careers. Be patient when giving instructions and allow plenty of time for questions and comments. If working within a hospital setting, and providing it’s permittable, allow the new nurse to try some hands-on work with the patients. Don’t introduce them to the patient as a student, it may make them feel uncomfortable, and possibly do the same to the patient. Discuss losing a patient, this is never an easy topic, however it most likely will happen at some point. Of course, we all feel bad when family members lose a loved one; you can offer the tip of rotating eyes to higher elevations, toward the ceiling. These blocks tear ducks temporarily, preventing the flow of tears. You want to show sympathy to family members, but it’s also important to maintain that level of being professional.

Being a good mentor is a big responsibility, and will impact a new nurse for their career. Take your time, and take that role very seriously, as you are their temporary teacher.

Related: Outstanding Nurse Practitioner Heather Elan Mingo, NP, RN, PhDc, will be Noted in the Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare Please follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest and Twitter