Empowerment and Mentoring in Nursing Academia

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>In 2011, there was an expected shortage of 200 full-time faculty. While there are an estimated 322 graduate students in Nurse Practitioner and Masters/PhD programs in Canada today, the supply of potential new faculty falls short of the anticipated demand in the years ahead (Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing). This mixed method study explored how organizational culture and the perceived level of psychological and structural empowerment are associated with one’s work environment among Canadian nursing faculty and to explore the state of mentorship in schools of nursing.</jats:p>

Walking alongside: a qualitative study of the experiences and perceptions of academic nurse mentors supporting early career nurse academics

“…Similarly, in an American study by Chung and Kowalski (2012), only 40% of the nursing faculty surveyed reported having a current mentoring relationship. Positive outcomes were evident for those who were mentored in terms of greater job satisfaction (Singh et al, 2014), psychological empowerment and less overall job-related stress (Chung & Kowalski, 2012).…”

“…In their phenomenological study, Cangelosi (2014) found that although participants were constantly seeking mentorship to assist them in their role development, this support was not forthcoming. Further, research by Singh et al (2014) found that despite an identified need for mentoring only 44% of academics were in a mentoring relationship, and 49% of participants conveyed they did not receive adequate support to succeed in their roles. Similarly, in an American study by Chung and Kowalski (2012), only 40% of the nursing faculty surveyed reported having a current mentoring relationship.…”

“…In some studies up to 25% of participants who were mentored reported low levels of satisfaction with this relationship (Singh et al, 2014). Unsuccessful mentoring can have adverse effects on both individuals and their organisations (Driscoll et al, 2009;Green & Jackson, 2013 Assigned mentoring relationships may be problematic due to a lack of shared values or complimentary interpersonal qualities (Jackson et al, 2003;Sambunjak et al, 2009;Straus et al, 2009).…”

“…This resonates with previous research which found that academics with mentors have greater socio-emotional support, greater job satisfaction and had less intention of leaving the faculty in the immediate future (Wasserstein, Quistberg & Shea, 2007). However, despite the reported benefits of mentorship for faculty, many nurse academics do not have an identified mentor (Chung & Kowalski, 2012;Gerolamo & Roemer, 2011;Singh et al, 2014).…”

Bridging the gap between higher education and the workforce: A coach approach to teaching

“…Empowering students can be achieved using a variety of pedagogical approaches including service learning (see Jacoby, 2003;Munter, 2002) and participatory learning (see Hisschemöller and Cuppen, 2015). Singh et al (2014) define empowerment from cultural, psychological and structural perspectives, explaining the degree to which individuals feel like they have power, authority, and/or responsibility. When individuals are empowered, they are likely to be more motivated in their tasks, and feel that their needs have been met.…”