The implementation and evaluation of a mentoring program for Bachelor of Midwifery students in the clinical practice environment

Athena Sheehan, Hannah G. Dahlen, Rakime Elmir, Elaine Burns, Sharon Coulton, Karen Sorensen, Margaret Duff, Fiona Arundell, Hazel Keedle, Virginia Schmied

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Aim: To describe the implementation and evaluation of a midwife/midwifery student-mentoring program in one Local Health District in Sydney NSW Australia. Background: Evidence suggests well designed and supported midwife/midwifery student mentorship programs can make a difference to the clinical placement experiences and attrition rates of midwifery students. Design: In the evaluation of the mentoring program, we used surveys, focus groups and individual interviews. Methods: Eighty-six participants, including midwife mentors, midwifery students, non-mentor midwives and midwifery managers participated in the evaluation. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data, content analysis. Results: The mentoring program increased midwives' mentoring skills and was beneficial to their professional growth and leadership skills. Students reported positive outcomes including someone to talk to, emotional support and a sense of belonging. Mentoring programs require structure, mentor training, organisational support and transparency. Conclusion: The mentoring program provided benefits to both midwifery mentors and students and demonstrated the value of a structured and supported mentoring program for midwifery students.
Original languageEnglish
Article number103687
Number of pages11
JournalNurse Education in Practice
Volume70
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors

Open Access - Access Right Statement

© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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