Nurse Mentoring: Facilitating Teaching and Assessment in Practice
This paper presents a first-person reflective account of nurse mentorship within a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), written from the perspective of a senior registered nurse mentoring a newly graduated trainee. The paper identifies the learning needs of the learner, outlines the physical environment of the ward, and discusses key educational concepts including learning theory, learning styles (particularly Honey and Mumford's model), and learning strategy. It then examines facilitation and assessment methods — including discussion, questionnaires, bedside teaching, and video-based instruction — and concludes with strategies for providing ongoing support through second mentors, coaching, peer support, and open communication.
- Introduction: Overview of nurse mentorship roles and purpose
- Mentor and Learner Backgrounds: Profiles of the mentor and trainee nurse
- Identifying Learning Needs: Key learning concepts and ward environment
- Facilitating and Assessment Methods: Discussion, video, CME, and competency assessment
- Providing Ongoing Support and Guidance: Second mentors, coaching, peers, and communication
- Professional and Personal Summary: Reflections on mentorship outcomes and value
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper grounds abstract educational concepts — learning theory, learning style, and assessment strategy — in a concrete, real-world clinical setting, making the discussion immediately practical and credible.
- It moves logically from background and context through needs identification, facilitation methods, and finally to ongoing support, giving the argument a clear developmental arc.
- The use of first-person narration creates a reflective, authentic voice appropriate to a professional practice paper, and the dual professional/personal summary effectively separates organisational from personal insights.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied synthesis: it takes established educational frameworks (Honey and Mumford's learning styles, cognitive learning theory, continuing medical education) and explicitly maps them onto specific mentoring practices within the NICU. Rather than merely describing theories, the author shows how each concept shapes a concrete action — for example, using pre-competency questionnaires to assess prior knowledge, or biweekly video sessions to reinforce experiential learning.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with an introduction establishing the importance of nurse mentorship, followed by brief biographical profiles of both mentor and learner. A dedicated section defines key learning terminology and identifies the learner's needs. The central section covers facilitation and assessment tools in turn. A final content section addresses post-mentorship support mechanisms, and the paper closes with both a professional summary (organisational perspective) and a personal reflection (mentor's own experience). An appendix provides the learner questionnaire used in practice.
Introduction
The facilitation, teaching, and assessment of nurses are important and critical responsibilities. Hospitals recognize that it is cost-effective to have senior employees mentor junior employees so that new staff are trained to work independently as quickly as possible. Mentors are employees who possess both supervisory and leadership qualities needed to teach and guide learners. The nurse mentor fulfills this role by assessing and evaluating the methods that can be used to facilitate the learner's development. These methods may include, but are not limited to, lectures and discussion. The processes of facilitation and teaching depend on the capacity of both the mentor and the learner.
The following discussion focuses on mentor and learner backgrounds, the learning needs of the learner, and the responsibilities of both parties. It also offers suggestions on how to improve learning and facilitation by adopting some basic activities in practice. Organizations cannot ignore the importance of ongoing help and guidance: once formal mentoring ends, the learner still needs occasional support, which should be ensured by both the mentor and the ward administration.
Mentor and Learner Backgrounds
I am a registered nurse. My educational background in nursing includes a diploma in nursing, which I completed in 2007. After graduating, I was employed by a general hospital, where I have since gained experience in different types of settings and wards over more than six years. I have worked in various wards, and my current duties are in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). My role involves not only caring for patients but also mentoring junior medical staff. The learners I guide are of both genders; currently, I am responsible for guiding a trainee nurse so that she understands the working schedule of the hospital and the ward.
The learner is a newly graduated nurse who completed her nursing diploma in 2013 and was hired by the hospital as a trainee nurse. She worked for two months in the neonatal intensive care unit before beginning formal mentorship with me. Premature newborns are not only vulnerable to disease; the learner and I are also responsible for ensuring their security and safety. She is a quick learner and is sensitive to her work as well as her responsibilities. She does not hesitate to take on extra shifts in order to fulfill her duties.
The physical environment of the neonatal intensive care ward is fully hygienic. The ward is built to healthcare quality standards, since it is not possible to operate a neonatal ward without a supportive environment and emotionally and mentally supportive staff (Lester and Tronick, 2004). There are 10 permanent beds and 18 additional beds that can be set up on demand. The ward is fully air-conditioned, and the air-conditioning system is maintained regularly. Ward staff have access to desktop computers connected to the internet so that information can be sent and received efficiently.
Identifying Learning Needs
A learner in a medical care setting has learning needs that differ from those in other environments. The learner must also demonstrate a basic aptitude for learning. This section elaborates on the key concepts related to learner needs and describes the learning environment.
Learning: Learning is considered a process rather than a product (University of Pittsburgh, 2010). It is a positive change in knowledge that requires time and effort. Learning also depends more on the willingness of the learner than on the willingness of the teacher or mentor.
Orientation: Effective learning is possible only when the learner is provided with a secure environment in which she can absorb and apply the information offered to her (Brown, 2005). Such a setting should not pose any threats and should enable the learner to perform regular duties while also acquiring new knowledge.
Pre-competency test: Not every candidate can be selected as a paid learner within the organization. Since positions for learners are limited, candidates must display a set of skills and knowledge demonstrating that they will serve the hospital effectively. The pre-competency test ensures that the candidate possesses basic qualities — such as English language proficiency, communication skills, and cultural understanding — required for the role. Although learning cannot always be completely measured (Smith and Blake, 2005), pre-competency tests provide a useful indication of a learner's cognitive level.
Learning theory: People learn through different ways and methods, but in the medical arena, cognitive learning is generally considered most effective. The learner is asked to understand situations and to develop different responses in light of their knowledge of a patient's condition. Cognitive learning requires that the learner has a good memory and can retain what she has learned.
Learning style: Learning can take many forms, some formal and others informal. Honey and Mumford's learning style classification is based on offering learning opportunities that match what learners themselves demand. This style acknowledges that people may choose different methods of learning based on their circumstances, level of experience, and preferred mode of learning (Honey and Mumford's Learning, 2011). A learner using this approach does not necessarily require prior direct experience and can draw conclusions from a variety of inputs.
Learning strategy: Learning is a comprehensive process with the long-term goal of knowledge growth, which can only be achieved through a strong strategy. The strategy I adopt with my learner is to ask her to self-prepare for situations first. I regularly recommend reading materials that reflect how to respond in a range of scenarios. Since the medical setting requires sound decision-making, the learner must develop leadership qualities so she can handle neonatal patient care situations effectively. I supervise the trainee to ensure she understands situations and is making the right decisions. Although the ward team is small, peer support is encouraged, so that more experienced staff help the learner understand how things are done. Peers offer partnership and review her performance so that she can learn quickly. She is also offered one-to-one monitoring, which assists her in identifying and correcting errors in real time. When there is specific knowledge that needs to be shared to address a weakness or develop a new skill, I counsel her directly. My teaching plan includes two 45-minute sessions per week based on neonatal care techniques, incorporating case study discussions relevant to the ward and the wider industry. The learning method is carried out with the aim that the learner will develop a professional approach to patient care (McKimm and Jollie, 2003).
References
American Medical Association. (2013). Continuing Medical Education. Retrieved from
Brown, J. S. (2005). New Learning Environments for the 21st Century. Retrieved from http://www.johnseelybrown.com/newlearning.pdf
Honey and Mumford's Learning. (2011). Retrieved from
Lester, B. M., and Tronick, E. Z. (2004). The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Network Neurobehavioral Scale Procedures. Pediatrics, 113, 641.
McKimm, J. and Jollie, C. (2003). Facilitating learning: Teaching and learning methods. Retrieved from
Smith, P., and Blake, D. (2005). Facilitating learning through effective teaching. NCVER.
Threadgill, J. (1979). The Interaction of Learner Aptitude with Types of Questions Accompanying a Written Lesson on Logical Implications. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 10(5), 337–346.
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