Mentoring and Support for Underrepresented Nursing Faculty

Abstract

Background: Nursing faculty members may need several mentors to succeed in scholarly productivity, career development, work-life balance, and socialization in the academy. Underrepresented (UR) faculty report additional challenges to success. Purpose: The aim of this study was to search the literature for best practices in mentoring UR faculty. Methods: An integrative review was conducted to identify best and evidence-based practices for mentoring UR faculty, including gender, sexual minority, race, ethnicity, and geographic remoteness (rural). Fifteen articles were rated on evidence and methodological quality. Results: Successful mentorship programs include honest communication, including all stakeholders in forming a mentoring program, goals and activities that come from the mentees, and guaranteed resources. Conclusions: Underrepresented nursing faculty may benefit from formal mentoring programs, but more research is needed.

Descriptive Analysis of Newly Hired Academic Nurse Educator Onboarding Practices

“…The novice nurse educator needs a structured plan and mentoring to develop the competency to teach effectively and remain in academia 30. Benefits of being mentored include increased self-confidence, happiness, and workplace networking with more experienced faculty 31. Moreover, building a mentoring relationship between the new faculty member (mentee) and an experienced educator (mentor) is an ongoing process lasting well beyond the initial orientation phase.…”

“…30 Benefits of being mentored include increased self-confidence, happiness, and workplace networking with more experienced faculty. 31 Moreover, building a mentoring relationship between the new faculty member (mentee) and an experienced educator (mentor) is an ongoing process lasting well beyond the initial orientation phase. However, structured mentoring of new faculty was not found to be an integral part of orientation for most respondents in this study.…”

The Nature and Evolution of the Mentoring Relationship in Academic Health Centers

“…Further, the positive benefits of mentoring programs are seen across undergraduate (Evans et al, 2020 ), graduate (Gitlin & Lypson, 2017 ; Wettemann, 2021 ), medical students (Altonji et al, 2019 ), nursing school (Clement & Welch, 2021 ), advanced training such as residents and fellows (Dawkins & Grier, 2021 ), and faculty (Cranmer et al, 2018 ; Ortiz, 2021 ). The benefits of a mentoring relationship may be particularly helpful for those in underrepresented groups in academic health centers such as male nurses (Ortiz, 2021 ), female pharmacists (Biehle et al, 2021 ), female physicians (Marshall et al, 2020 ), racial minority groups (Dawkins & Grier, 2021 ; Mokel et al, 2022 ).…”

Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Composition Among Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Faculty Ranks

“…13 Underrepresented minority faculty report the additional stress of often being the only representative for their minority group. 13,14 In previous studies, Black nursing faculty have indicated that they are often burdened and made to feel like the token Black person, without recognition that one person does not represent the entire Black population. 15 Underrepresented minority faculty are often designated as diversity experts.…”