Nurse Mentoring Programs Improve Nurses Skills Job Satisfaction_OHA
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Thursday, May 11, 2006
Nurse Mentoring Programs Improve Nurses’ Skills, Job Satisfaction: OHA
Toronto – An Ontario-wide nursing mentorship program could be an important tool in the province’s efforts to recruit and retain nurses, according to a report released today by the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA). The Final Report of the Nurse Mentorship Project Steering Committee and its companion materials are available at www.oha.com.
“Ontario’s hospitals and the OHA are leaders in developing new strategies to make our province the best place anywhere for nurses to apply their skills and knowledge,” said OHA President and CEO Hilary Short. “This report describes the value of mentoring programs in communicating knowledge and improving job satisfaction, and outlines the factors needed to make mentoring programs a success.”
In 2003, Ontario’s Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care provided the OHA with a research grant to undertake a comprehensive pilot study of different mentoring arrangements in hospitals. The pilot project, which began in April 2004, and ended March 2006, was guided by a Steering Committee made up of expert academic, government, hospital and nursing representatives. Twenty-eight Ontario hospitals, 30 mentors, 332 mentees and 164 nurses (used as a control group) were involved in the project.
The Final Report of the Nurse Mentorship Project Steering Committee discusses different nurse mentoring arrangements in Ontario and around the world, and the positive effect that mentorship programs could have on the job satisfaction, retention and recruitment of experienced Registered Nurses and Registered Practical Nurses and new graduates.
Key findings included:
- Improved Job Satisfaction – After mentoring, both mentors and mentees were significantly more satisfied with supervision on the job than were the nurses in the mentors’ comparison group.
- Increased Intention to Remain in Nursing – Mentoring appeared to have had a positive impact on individuals in the areas of job commitment, intention to stay in the nursing profession, and job satisfaction.
- Intentions to Mentor in the Future – Senior nurses have a wealth of knowledge that they are ready and willing to pass on to new nurses (92% of mentors indicated that they would participate in future mentoring opportunities).
“Making Ontario’s hospitals employers of choice for nurses is a critical part of attracting and retaining these in-demand professionals in today’s competitive international labour market,” said Short. “The recommendations made in this report will assist in hospitals in meeting this goal, and we believe that they should be built into the Government of Ontario’s new HealthForceOntario strategy.”
What Nursing Experts Are Saying About The OHA’s Nurse Mentorship Pilot Project
"This is an extremely important project that will benefit nursing and the health of our society for years to come." Dr. Linda Ritchie, Chair of the Nursing Department, Brock University
"Nursing is intellectually and emotionally demanding work, and mentorship support is key to enabling nursing practice. I am pleased to see the useful material developed through this project that can be used by others – regardless of professional background or sector - in the process of establishing a mentorship program. The Ministry is pleased to have supported this project; it links nicely with our new HealthForceOntario Strategy." Sherri Huckstep, Manager, Nursing Secretariat, Ministry of Health & Long Term Care
"This has been a very meaningful and exciting nurse mentoring initiative. It was an honour to work with such dedicated and experienced mentors; such eager and knowledgeable new nurses; and such committed healthcare leaders in the province to learn more about mentoring and its promise for supporting and retaining nurses." Dr. Heather Lee Kilty, Project Consultant/Lead Investigator
"Mentors are a requirement of any solid recruitment and retention program." Joanne Young Evans, Executive Director, Registered Practical Nurses Association
"Research supports the implementation of mentoring, and provides us with data to use with local stakeholders to encourage their support. The mentoring tools are a wonderful addition which I know will be used extensively to ensure best practice across Ontario." – Michelle Quealey, Director People System, North Simcoe Hospital Alliance
To access the “Final Report of the Nurse Mentorship Pilot Project”, please visit click here.
For further information:
OHA Public Affairs
416-205-1305