Date of Award

4-17-2017

Document Type

Restricted Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Nursing (MAN)

Department

Nursing

First Advisor

Deborah Schumacher

Abstract

Intensive care unit (ICU) nursing can be challenging due to stress, unpredictability, and complexity of patients. Nurse mentorship has been recognized as an effective means of helping support and develop individuals. Nurses who are new to an ICU setting may feel overwhelmed or inadequately prepared for the scope of challenges faced during the period of transition following orientation. The medical/surgical/transplant ICU at a Midwestern, teaching healthcare institution is a complex and challenging nursing practice affected by nursing turnover. Facilitating nurses' transition into an ICU and enculturating nurses who are new to an ICU has been achieved through a hybrid nurse mentorship program. The hybrid nurse mentorship program includes monthly one-to-one mentorship combined with quarterly group mentoring. This project's purpose is to implement an enhanced hybrid nurse mentorship program designed to enculturate nurses into the medical/surgical/transplant ICU to improve the patient experience at a Midwestern, teaching healthcare institution. Jean Watson's Theory of Human Caring / Philosophy and Science of Caring provides the theoretical framework for the transpersonal caring relationship guiding the nurse mentorship relationship. The metaphor of connecting puzzle pieces represents the evolving connection and progression of the mentor-mentee relationship(s) in the nurse mentorship program. Effectiveness of the hybrid nurse mentorship program is assessed and evaluated on an ongoing basis. This enhanced hybrid nurse mentorship program has provided opportunities for connection among mentees and mentors, increased staff nurse satisfaction, and aims to improve staff nurse retention to improve the quality of patient care, resulting in optimal patient experiences and potentially patient outcomes.

Download

Share

COinS