Transversal Competencies of a Clinical Mentor in Nursing Graduate Studies

Abstract

Introduction: The focus of clinical mentoring in nursing specialists is to develop both generic or transversal skills, as well as specific skills needed to assess their profile and become a graduate student under the guidance of experts. Objective: The objective of this study is to diagnose the transversal competencies of clinical mentors from the Unique Program of Nursery Specialties (UPNS) in student body training. Method: This study utilized a descriptive and phenomenological interpretative approach. Twelve informants from UPNS participated, and the variables were clinical mentoring and transversal competencies from novice and senior mentors. Two focus groups were conducted for data collection, and data analysis was performed according to Strauss and Corbin. All participants provided signed informed consent. Results: Post-analysis of qualitative data revealed three categories with subcategories. Category 1: Strengths of clinical mentors in three dimensions. Sub-categories: 1.1) PD: Academic and personal companionship; 1.2) PD: Guidance with humanist focus and feedback from mentor to student in real scenarios; 1.3) PD: Guidance in the teaching-learning process; 1.4) DD: Integration of theoretical-practical knowledge and development of advanced abilities in nursing for clinical practice; 1.5) CD: Responsibility and commitment from student's characteristics to group's general statements. Category 2: Competencies that lead the clinical mentor in pedagogy, discipline and generic dimensions, reported 9 subcategories six of them focused on the didactics of clinical mentors, and three on the interpersonal communication between mentors. Category 3: Opportunity areas to develop by the clinical mentor. From a mentor's perspective, eight subcategories revealed transversal competencies that define a clinical mentor for UPNS. In this state, competencies are oriented toward the pedagogical and interpersonal communication dimensions, but central aspects are recognized between disciplines, namely,

Transversal Competences and Clinic Tutorship: Appreciation by Graduated Nursing Specialists

“…Transversal competences are included in the United Nations Organization 2030 Agenda for the formation of professional staff in higher education, having disciplinary and transversal skills to develop individual, professional, social, and entrepreneurship at present time, creative individuals being able to solve social problems via collaboration [1]. In this formative context, the teacher is a key figure in the Nurse postgraduate program, being a clinic mentor for professionalizing specialties programs.…”

“…In this regard, González-Juárez and Tapia-Pancardo (2023) recognized the clinic tutorship as a social hinge, an analogy that allows to identify mobile and fixed components, while the bolt that binds the mentor and the mentee is learning, by means of accompaniment by an expert [1].…”

“…Nurse 6 This category implies a challenge for both the clinic tutor ad the student, it represents opportunities to develop competences disciplinary, pedagogic, and of interpersonal communication that reduce the dilemma of expert and novice formation. In this way the relevance of the clinic tutor experience, as well as his praxis understood as accompaniment, could be explained with the hinge analogy in which disciplinary knowledge, and theoretical-practical background are immersed, dealing with pedagogy-didactics of nurse tutors to form graduate students, as well as their high level professionalism [1]. This is coincident with Category 5, Opportunity fields in clinic tutorship from students' experiences, with the sub-categories 5.1 Unification of specialty programs, 5.2 Identification of significant learning, 5.3 Planning teaching times, 5.4 Adequate distribution to attend students, 5.5 Development of management skills, 5.6 Development of didactic competences, 5.7 Strategies to adapt in emergency situations, 5.8 Integral evaluation for each student, and 5.9 Planning the times for evaluation, supported by the speeches: [ ] I would recommend that the tutor has more time to dedicate to each student of the specialty, or if it is not possible then do it in group.…”

“…Nurse 4 [ ] I suggest that evaluation criteria, homework, planning to be unified, since in the same hospital tutors do not coordinate themselves and each one works different, a situation that risks the team work because questioning in the classroom about the practice and the dynamics, differences were observable. Nurse 7 The opportunity fields for clinic mentors and for students of nursing specialties through research are more evident, the road is long but the route is being traced with support, systematically, and the next step is to propose alternatives of solution for each setting [1].…”