Practicing Leadership Skills through Peer Mentoring and Teaching: the Lived Experience of BSN Students

Abstract

Although leadership theory is introduced in baccalaureate nursing curriculum, opportunities to practice and develop leadership skills are limited for undergraduate nursing students. This study explores the experience of advanced nursing students who provided mentoring and tutoring to beginning nursing students. The experiences they describe are interpreted in light of literature on leadership education in undergraduate nursing schools, as well as that of peer mentoring and peer teaching. These advanced students described opportunities to practice and reflect on leadership skills and attributes. Peer mentoring and peer teaching programs may be an effective and efficient way of helping nursing students gain leadership skills and experience.

“Nurturing a trusting learning community”: perceptions of relationships in a health professions education peer mentorship program

“…Peer mentors described experiences of mutual learning within interactions with mentees, consistent with prior studies (Bright, 2019;Christiansen and Bell, 2010;Giordana and Wedin, 2010;Smith et al, 2015). While coaching mentees, SPMs themselves were learning how to notice and respond to complex situationsa capability that is transferable to being a health care professional.…”

“…Findings from student peer mentorship research suggest that interactions between peer mentors and mentees provide mutual gain (Bright, 2019; Christiansen and Bell, 2010; Giordana and Wedin, 2010; Loke and Chow, 2007; Smith et al. , 2015), are supportive (Andersen and Watkins, 2018; Glass and Walter, 2000; Jacobs, 2017; Kramer et al.…”

“…Findings from student peer mentorship research suggest that interactions between peer mentors and mentees provide mutual gain (Bright, 2019;Christiansen and Bell, 2010;Giordana and Wedin, 2010;Loke and Chow, 2007;Smith et al, 2015), are supportive (Andersen and Watkins, 2018;Glass and Walter, 2000;Jacobs, 2017;Kramer et al, 2018), enhance empathy (Andersen and Watkins, 2018;Ramm et al, 2015;Ravanipour, 2015), help to manage stress (Bulut, 2010;Demir et al, 2014), provide a sense of belonging (Gilmour et al, 2007;Glass and Walter, 2000), help to meet social needs (Bulut et al, 2010;Loke and Chow, 2007), provide a "socialized" learning experience (Jacobs, 2017) and foster a sense of community among students in different years of a program (Lombardo et al, 2017). However, little research with a primary focus on relationships in student peer mentorship has been undertaken.…”

Nursing leaders' perceptions of the state of nursing leadership and the need for nursing leadership education reform: A qualitative content analysis from South Korea

“…Some studies have suggested that a discussion‐based (J. Kim et al, 2011 ) or situated learning model (Ailey et al, 2015 ) could be helpful in this respect. Others have suggested that peer‐mentoring programmes can help nursing students experience leadership and develop their leadership skills (Bright, 2019 ). In general, both the literature and our participants suggest that traditional, lecture‐based education does not breed leadership or help students internalize what they have learned and make considerable behavioural changes.…”

Monitoria de pesquisa em saúde: ferramenta para formação do acadêmico em enfermagem

“…Ao vivenciar a educação em pares, seja na construção de materiais ou na tutoria propriamente dita, o discente-monitor tem a oportunidade de obter competências e conhecimento adquirido com a prática, de forma efetiva e produtiva 13 .…”