Mentorship Case

This essay aims to explore the processes of teaching, training and mentoring of adults. The setting in which this will be explored and linked to, will be one of nursing, although it is recognised that the fundamental theories explored may be applied to any setting where the teaching, training and mentoring of adults occur. The essay will explore the writer's understanding regarding the role of a mentor within the workplace and the theoretical ties surrounding mentorship and how these are linked into the writer's role of a mentor. Any names or areas of work mentioned in the essay have been changed in order to maintain confidentiality, clause five of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code of Professional Conduct: Standards for Conduct, Performance and Ethics (NMC 2004).

The term 'mentor' is defined by the English National Board (ENB) and the Department of Health (DOH) to "denote the role of the nurse, midwife or health visitor who facilitates learning and supervises and assesses students in their practice setting" (ENB & DOH 2001a P6). Nicklin and Kenworthy (2000) define a mentor as someone who by example and facilitation guides, assists, and supports the student in learning new skills, adopting new behaviour and acquiring new skills. Quinn (2000 P.427) furthers this definition by pointing out the fact that a mentor is someone who "enters into a formal arrangement to provide education and personal support to a student throughout the period of the placement." This denotes the level of responsibility and commitment required by the mentor, as an agreement is established. Within that agreement a contract of personal and professional commitments are maintained. Willingness to guide, assess and support appear to be the key elements identified with a time frame for these commitments ranging over a placement spent with a mentor, to a whole lifetime as professional friendships are made. The United Kingdom Central Council (UKCC) in 2000 specifies further the standards expected of mentors and mentorship courses provided in Higher Educational Institutions (HEI) (UKCC 2000), across the country which are implemented today. The ENB and The DOH also published a comprehensive framework in 2001. They identify eight key characteristics that a mentor should utilise in order to be effective, this was also picked up by the NMC (2004) in its publication Standards for the Preparation of Teachers of Nursing and Midwifery. The writer's experience however, such standards are hard to achieve. For instance, ensuring that effective learning has taken place is not always within the mentor's control. In the writer's experience time for adequate de briefing after stressful events are often short lived as other work demands take priority. When offering to stay after shift end to discuss and de brief, students often make their apologies as their own commitments such as collecting their children from school take