Nursing Student Peer Support Can Happen , VIRTUALLY , Anywhere
By Travis Dayhoff and Devon Manney
Having an adequate support system is vital for students ’ success in higher education . Nursing programs are known to be rigorous and taxing ; the pandemic has only increased the challenges nursing students face . Challenges range from completing multiple hours of clinical each week to progressing through a dynamic curriculum . These experiences make it difficult for nursing students to , independently , identify peer mentors who can provide support and guidance throughout their education . The pandemic has led to many course-related activities occurring virtually ; this has , likely , had an impact on students ’ perceived peer support and connectedness .
Student mentors offer their mentees support to face educational challenges and realize their potential for success . Without structured peer relationships , students may change their majors , withdraw from school , struggle to succeed , or be dissatisfied with their educational experience .
Because of the lack of a formalized nursing student mentor program at my university and the negative impacts associated with a lack of support , I reviewed current literature on student mentor programs and concluded that a nursing student mentor program would increase student satisfaction and success . As a result , I developed a student mentor program through the Student Nurses ’ Association ( SNA ) at my university . Goals set for this project included establishing guidelines for a structured mentor program and piloting it to determine if it would be beneficial to implement permanently . Because of the success of the program and the positive feedback received , my university ’ s chapter of SNA decided to permanently integrate this program into the organization .
Looking to the Literature for Support A review of literature revealed several research studies that have examined the impact and benefits of structured nursing student peer mentor programs . Lombardo et al . ( 2017 ) studied the experiences of 11 undergraduate nursing students who were mentees in a student peer mentor program . The researchers identified several common themes after interviewing the participants , all of which explained the benefits students received from participating in the program . One theme concluded that having an upperclassman mentor allowed underclassmen mentees to know what to expect from their program and that mentees viewed their mentors as reliable and helpful resources for their education ( Lombardo et al ., 2017 ). Having a student mentor who has gone through the same program was also found to be important because mentees felt they were more reliable and able to provide advice on study strategies for specific classes , topics , and various teaching methods among professors . Participants also reported decreased stress and feelings of uncertainty because they knew what to expect from their program and were introduced to a social network of other nursing students through their mentors ( Lombardo et al ., 2017 ). Participants also reported feeling less intimidated having a peer , rather than a professional figure , serve as their mentor . They also felt that their mental health had improved secondary to increased academic success . Lastly , mentees reported that having upperclassmen discuss their professional goals and seeing how passionate their mentors were , ultimately led to them having an increased enjoyment and passion for nursing education ( Lombardo et al ., 2017 ).
Vandal et al . ( 2018 ) studied the experiences of eight mentors from the same peer mentor program to explore their experiences . Mentors reported wanting to serve in this role because they wished someone had done that for them and they wanted to help increase peer networking and decrease stress levels of underclassmen . Mentors valued the face-to-face time they had with their mentees , as they believed this allowed them to have a more meaningful and deeper connection ( Vandal et al ., 2018 ). Mentors also valued the autonomy of having loose guidelines and being able to individualize the mentorship . Additionally , mentors reported being able to practice several professional nursing skills in their role — for example , effective communication , active listening , selfreflection , prioritization , and role modeling ( Vandel et al ., 2017 ).
Raymond and Sheppard ( 2017 ) examined the effects a peer mentor program had on stress , self-efficacy , sense of belonging , and loneliness in undergraduate nursing students . During the six-week program , mentors met with their mentees , face-to-face , at least twice ; they also used texting , emailing , and social media to contact their mentees . Students who had a mentor reported decreased stress , less loneliness , improved self-efficacy , and an enhanced sense of belonging in the program when compared students who did not have a mentor ( Raymond and Sheppard , 2017 ). Because of the benefits of this program in creating a welcoming learning environment , Raymond and Sheppard ( 2017 ) concluded that students were more likely to remain in the program , more likely to succeed , and more satisfied with their education .
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