MANAGING RESOURCES:of the mentor’s instruction, support, and encouragement.
of the mentor’s instruction, support, and encouragement. The mentor thus buffers the mentee from criticism.
A breakup stage may occur from six months to two years after a significant change in the relationship, usually resulting from the mentee taking a job in another department or organiza- tion so that there is a physical separation of the two individuals. It also can occur if the mentor refuses to accept the mentee as a peer or when the relationship becomes dysfunctional for some reason. The lasting friendship stage is the final phase and will occur if the mentor accepts the mentee as a peer or if the relationship is reestablished after a significant separation. The com- plete mentoring process usually includes the last stage.
Coaching Coaching is a strategy suggested to address nurses’ job dissatisfaction (Stedman & Nolan, 2007). A coach helps the staff member focus on solving a specific problem or conflict that in- terferes with the employee’s satisfaction at work. Coaches are often nurses or human resources staff within the organization prepared to help resolve conflicts. Conflicts could be between two nurses, between a nurse and a patient, or between a nurse and a physician. In a confidential en- vironment, the coach helps the staff member explore the exact nature of the problem, consider various alternatives (e.g., transfer, quit, do nothing), delve into embedded issues (e.g., values conflict with organization, unmatched expectations), discover links (e.g., working with friends), and the disadvantages of leaving (e.g., start over with vacation time, benefits, leave friends). The goal is to reduce turnover from issues that can be resolved.
Nurse Residency Programs Residency programs, 12 or 18 months in length, are designed to acclimate new graduates to the work environment. One example is the Versant RN Residency Program™, an 18-month resi- dency that includes both educational and emotional components. Novice nurses receive lectures and online access to best practices as well as a nurse partner who maintains an ongoing relation- ship and teaches professional accountability and critical thinking. In addition, residents partici- pate in emotional support groups to share experiences and feelings. New-graduate turnover rates have gone from 35 percent to less than 6 percent, according to surveys of hospitals using the program (Mcpeck, 2006).
One-year residency programs for new graduates implemented at 12 sites have been shown to be effective in reducing turnover (Williams et al., 2007). Each residency involved a partner- ship between a school of nursing and a hospital. The program included a core curriculum, clini- cal guidance by a nurse preceptor, and a resident facilitator for professional role development assistance in addition to the usual orientation at the institution. The results showed that turnover of new graduates averaged 12 percent, more than half the national average.
Later reports of the residency program, implemented in 26 sites, found turnover rates de- clined to a low 5.7 percent (Lynn, 2008). The program continues to be refined with recent offer- ings including peer, preceptor, and manager participation and employee recognition components (Goode et al., 2009). It follows that programs that reduce turnover have been successful in mo- tivating employees.
Career Advancement One example of a career advancement development strategy is the clinical ladder program. It uses a system of performance indicators to advance an employee within the organization. The three key components are:
1. Horizontal promotion
2. Clinical ladder
3. Clinical mentee