Reverse Mentoring and Intergenerational Learning in Nursing

Abstract

Covid -19 pandemic urged technical competency and knowledge sharing among the diverse multigenerational workforce. Reverse mentoring is where a technically competent younger employee mentors the senior experienced employee and reciprocally exchanges the work culture and soft skills. Diverse intergenerational learning spurs innovation through sharing knowledge, skills, competencies, norms, and values. The ever-changing nursing practice and education with a multigenerational workforce demand a reverse mentoring approach for intergenerational knowledge sharing to enhance technical competency. Reverse mentoring is known to have benefits on quality of education, better practice outcomes, and employee development. A reverse mentoring strategy is proposed as a sustainable cost-effective intergenerational knowledge-sharing tool in the current era of economic crisis due to the Covid -19 pandemic. This paper aimed to discuss the scope of reverse mentoring and intergenerational learning in nursing. This paper provides an overview of reverse mentoring characteristics, significance, benefits, conceptual framework, implementation strategy, and application in nursing.
 Keywords: Mentoring; Covid-19; Cultural Diversity; Learning; Nursing; Preceptorship; Intergenerational learning; Multigenerational Workforce.

Reverse Mentoring in Nursing Education

“…Goals and purposes must be established for both parties. Mutual written agreements highlighting rules and regulations might be needed 9,10…”

“…Strong administrative support, such as integrating reverse mentoring within the department's strategic plan and mission, might be necessary for reverse mentoring to succeed. 9,10 All parties should know the benefits, and mentees and mentors should be recognized for their efforts by the administration, faculty, and peers. Goals and purposes must be established for both parties.…”

“…One of the few published articles detailed the process and outcomes of intergenerational learning and reverse mentoring in nursing. 9 The researchers explored how intergenerational learning is a form of reverse mentoring and how it could conceptually be applied to nursing education. Suggestions for use included developing relationships between older adults and children to improve social and emotional well-being, utilizing technologically savvy junior nurses to teach older nurses about electronic records, and decreasing implicit biases between White managers and minority staff.…”

Intergenerational learning in private higher education institutions: strategies and factors of influence

“…(2020) and Yildirim (2017), who focus on the use of the connectivism learning theory in the teaching process. Regarding IGL, Gallo (2011), Kaminska and Borzillo (2018), and Madhavanprabhakaran et al . (2022) take a closer look at the nursing and high-tech industries and highlight that fostering individuals' connections and ensuring a diversity of opinions can facilitate continual learning.…”

“…This aspect is pointed out by Sanchez et al (2020) and Yildirim (2017), who focus on the use of the connectivism learning theory in the teaching process. Regarding IGL, Gallo (2011), Kaminska and Borzillo (2018), and Madhavanprabhakaran et al (2022) take a closer look at the nursing and high-tech industries and highlight that fostering individuals' connections and ensuring a diversity of opinions can facilitate continual learning. By developing activities like, communities of practice, enterprise social networks, gamification, and volunteering, the learning process is less controlled; it adapts to individuals' need of knowing more, and bidirectional knowledge flows are supported.…”