The Need for Oniine Mentorship By Nadine Williams
Mentorship promotes professional achievement , leadership , and scholarship . It has proven to be successful in facilitating the professional growth and development of individuals transitioning to new roles . Mentoring is a collaborative learning relationship between two individuals who have shared accountability for the success of the relationship .
Nursing students need mentorship throughout their clinical training . Most nursing schools have formal student advisement but lack structured mentorship programs .
An online mentorship website provides an avenue for mentors and mentees to perfect their professional roles using technological advances . It is an innovative way for mentors to offer support and guidance . One of the numerous benefits of online mentoring is that it lessens many of the barriers of traditional face-to-face mentoring — for example , limitations of time and location can be overcome through online mentorship websites .
Online mentoring websites also allow nursing students to meet other nursing students that they would be unlikely to encounter through conventional avenues , and this opens the door to global networking as well . For example , nursing students can build connections with other nursing students from all over the world while they take courses online . The speed , ease , and convenience of online mentoring make it the perfect option for busy nursing students without the time or energy for traditional networking methods . Such computer-mediated communication allows for convenient interaction .
Online mentoring websites increase the likelihood of finding a mentor . When using a mentorship website , nursing students should consider factors such as a mentor ’ s nursing specialty , education level , and location in their selection of a mentor . Furthermore , before contacting a mentor , nursing students can learn a lot by reading a mentor ’ s professional profile . The profile gives an overview of the mentor ’ s career portfolio . These are just a few benefits of an online mentorship website .
Some online mentorship programs match mentees with mentors — for example , MyN- RMN is a national mentoring and networking platform that matches mentors and mentees in the biomedical sciences ( Ahmed , 2021 ).
Connie Vance , EdD , RN , FAAN , a mentorship researcher , identified the following five positive effects of mentoring ( Vance , 2001 ):
1 . Career success and advancement 2 . Personal and professional satisfaction 3 . Enhanced self-esteem and self-confidence 4 . Preparedness for leadership roles 5 . Strengthening of the profession
Mentor vs . Advisor The role of a mentor differs from that of an advisor . An advisor may direct others to a particular path based on requirements and standards . A mentor guides and motivates individuals to achieve their personal and professional goals . Mentors enable self-autonomy by letting the person take ownership of their goals . The mentor can have a great impact on
30 NSNA IMPRINT • FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022 • www . nsna . org