Mentoring student nurses and the educational use of self: A hermeneutic phenomenological study

Abstract

BackgroundIn the United Kingdom, pre-registration nurse education relies on workplace mentors to support and assess practice learning. Despite research to clarify expectations and develop support structures, mentors nevertheless report being overwhelmed by the responsibility of mentoring alongside their clinical work. Understanding of their lived experience appears limited. ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to achieve a deeper understanding of the lived experience of mentoring, searching for insights into how mentors can be better prepared and supported. DesignThe mentor lifeworld was explored utilizing a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology drawing on Heidegger. Settings and ParticipantsTwelve mentors, who worked in a range of clinical settings in England were recruited via purposive and snowball sampling. MethodParticipants described their experiences of mentoring through in-depth interviews and event diaries which included 'rich pictures'. Analysis involved the application of four lifeworld existentials proposed by van Manen -temporality, spatiality, corporeality and relationality. 2 FindingsThe essence of being a mentor was 'the educational use of self'. Temporality featured in the past self and moving with daily/work rhythms. Spatiality evoked issues of proximity and accountability and the inner and outer spaces of patients' bodies. Mentor corporeality revealed using the body for teaching, and mentors revealed their relationality in providing a 'good educational experience' and sustaining their 'educational selves'. Conclusions'The educational use of self' offers insight into the lived experience of mentors, and exposes the potentially hidden elements of mentoring experience, which can inform mentor preparation and support.

The Student-Nurse Pedagogical Relationship: A Hermeneutic-Phenomenological Study

“…5 All those traits of care can be obtained from the student's side fully, being experienced in action at one time, space, corporality, and interrelation. 10,22 The dialogue between student and nurse coincides with the essential characteristics mentioned by Schön: 5 it takes place in the clinical context within the performance of student care activities, uses actions and words equally, and depends on a reflection of reciprocal action. [ Here, we can appreciate, on the one hand, the dialogue between student and nurse as a particular form of call and response 10 and the freedom to ask; and, on the other, the nurse's monitoring and physical presence.…”

“…[ Here, we can appreciate, on the one hand, the dialogue between student and nurse as a particular form of call and response 10 and the freedom to ask; and, on the other, the nurse's monitoring and physical presence. [21][22] Be on the side of the student requires qualities such as good judgment and pedagogical tone. 8 This is an essential pedagogical capability: knowing how to act with caution and accuracy in pedagogical situations, starting from a reflective character thoroughly wrought.…”

“…[8][9][10]27 To acquire more and more autonomy means that the student can address the clinical situation, address the problems and learn to solve them by themselves, reflect from inside the action, make deliberate and properly argued decisions about the benefits and losses of their action, acquire security in their performance and take responsibility for their execution. 22,28 The autonomy process will occur gradually and in accordance with the uniqueness of the student. The student learns to observe and imitate the nurses when interacting with patients and with other students.…”

Mentorship for operational research capacity building: hands-on or hands-off?

“…have been published, [4][5][6][7][8] we can find no published work on mentorship in OR, and, in particular, mentorship for writing a scientific paper.…”

Pensamiento reflexivo del estudiante de enfermería en su prácticum clínico

“…Algunos autores (1-4) apuntan a que el pensamiento reflexivo comienza en una situación de incertidumbre o situación problemática, caracterizada ésta por la perplejidad, en la que justamente se origina la observación e indagación deliberativa y el análisis crítico de la situación, para así localizar la naturaleza del problema; seguidamente se plantean las hipóte-sis, los objetivos concretos, la elaboración de algún juicio final y las alternativas de solución para esclarecer el problema; y, por último, la corroboración experimental, o experimentación in situ (3). Teniendo en cuenta lo anterior y a la búsqueda bibliográfica, se encuentra que existen pocas investigaciones sobre el proceso reflexivo del estudiante de enfermería; el rol del contexto en el proceso reflexivo; los aspectos más significativos de la enseñanza-aprendizaje del estudiante al interactuar con los pacientes; los resultados de la práctica reflexiva en el cuidado del paciente (5-8); y cómo el cuidado es percibido, aprendido y practicado por los estudiantes en dichas interacciones (9,10,11). Solo algunos estudios han abordado la práctica reflexiva del estudiante de enfermería, los cuales muestran que estimular a los estudiantes a reflexionar sobre su propia práctica favorece a: expresar sus sentimientos y necesidades de aprendizaje, compartir experiencias, solucionar problemas e identificar razones para la acción (5,7).…”