Exploring registered nurses' perspectives as mentors for newly qualified nurses: a qualitative interview study.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Existing research has focused mostly on mentees' experiences of mentoring rather than mentors' experiences. Therefore, this study describes registered nurses' experiences of being a mentor for newly qualified nurses. DESIGN: A qualitative interview study based on semistructured individual interviews. Interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: A purposive sample of experienced registered nurses (n=21) from healthcare units in northern Sweden and northern Norway. Inclusion criteria were to have been a mentor to at least one newly qualified nurse, hold permanent employment of 75%-100% as a registered nurse and to be able to communicate in Swedish or Norwegian. RESULTS: Our study's findings suggest that being a mentor plays a crucial role in establishing safety in complex work environments. The main theme consists of three themes feeling motivated in being a mentor; continuously developing the learning environment; and navigating obstacles and cultivating support. CONCLUSION: Being a mentor is a complicated role for registered nurses. The mentoring role is beneficial-ie, positive and rewarding-if facilitated sufficiently in the context of a structured organisation. This study brings a more profound understanding of and provides new insights into registered nurses' perspectives and needs regarding being a mentor and the study's findings make an important contribution to the field of nursing regarding the facilitation of mentoring.