Graduate Student/Peer Mentoring Program
The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, describes in its Standards of Practice, among other topics, the “Adjunct Roles of the Nurse Practitioner” It lists these roles as: …“provider, mentor, educator, researcher, manager and consultant” Our own nursing unit includes in the “APN Competencies for the NP/CNS Blended Role” that of Leader and Mentor. The Graduate Peer-Mentoring Program has been developed. to facilitate the development of these competencies
Peer mentoring is a voluntary program in which graduate students have chosen to facilitate their professional development by building a relationship with a mentee. For peer mentors as well as for mentees, a one on one relationship can be the opportunity to give another person the guidance and support they once received from their own mentors. Peer mentoring gives the two students involved a chance to share common experiences and separate views on Advance Practice role development, professional issues and academic involvement. The peer mentor must be willing to interact with a faculty or experienced Advanced Practice professional that will give the peer mentor an opportunity to discuss mentee’s opinions and ideas based on mentee comments and concerns, which may require greater experience in the Advanced Practice role that the student mentor possesses. Mentoring improves the mentor’s performance and self-assurance and promotes the realization of both student mentor and mentee’s potential; it helps to increase students' self-determination toward goal attainment.
This program is created to help entering Graduate students feel more comfortable at Florida International University. It will identify successful students to serve as mentors. The mentors must agree to attend training sessions and make a commitment to continue the relationship at least through the academic year.
Participation in the mentoring program is voluntary. Students will be given at an appropriate time, an opportunity to fill a questionnaire regarding their interest in becoming a mentor or mentee, depending on their Graduate course level. This questionnaire may be given to the mentees in a selected early core course, and to the mentors in the second specialty track course. Further development of the role may be done during the Role Synthesis Course. The availability of the Graduate Peer-Mentoring Program will be presented at the Graduate Orientation sessions. Students mentors desiring to participate will commit to do so during two semesters or longer, depending on the length of the specialty track program. Students who have a mentor will then be tracked through the semesters to assess the academic and clinical success of individual students. While participation is voluntary, it will be highly encouraged by the Graduate Faculty.
Activities such as meeting, presentations and such may be scheduled in order to provide more opportunities for positive reinforcement, and, at the same time, more visibility and incentive for others to participate.
The mission of the Graduate Student Peer Mentoring Program is bifold:
- To facilitate the role transition from a Registered Professional Nurse to a novice Advanced Practice Nurse student.
- To develop the mentor role described by both, the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the nursing unit as one of the competencies required of the Advanced Practice Nurse.
Qualifications of a Graduate Peer Mentor
- Graduate student enrolled in a Clinical Track specialty course
- In good Academic and Clinical standing
- Willingness to learn how to help incoming Graduate students succeed both academically and clinically in the new Advanced Practice role
- Ability to learn from their own negative and positive experiences in their own personal transition from the Professional Registered Nurse role to the Novice Advanced Practice Nurse role
- Willingness to share their positive and negative learning experiences from their own personal transition from the Professional Registered Nurse role to the Novice Advanced Practice Nurse role
- Be willing to get involved
Benefits/Rewards of a Graduate Peer Mentor
- Develop mentoring skills
- Develop leadership skills
- Develop networking skills and resources
- Serve as a role model
- Resume builder
- Opportunity to give back to the FIU community
- Gain valuable and marketable life experience
- Extra credit/substitution for another assignment may be obtained in the Role Synthesis class at the discretion of the faculty responsible for the course
Selection Process
Prospective Mentors would need to meet the described qualifications and complete an application form. This application will be reviewed for approval by the designated faculty in charge of the Graduate Mentorship Program or her/his delegate.
Mentor Responsibilities
- Each mentor is assigned one entering graduate student enrolled in a core course (mentee)
- Make contact with their mentees via phone or email at least once per week during the semester
- Attend at least one SON-sponsored event during the semester academic year with their mentees
- Fulfill all the mentor responsibilities inherent in the mentor-mentee relationship as described elsewhere in this document
Qualifications of a Graduate Peer Mentee
- Graduate student enrolled in a core course
- In good academic standing
- Willingness to interact with a more experienced Graduate student
- Ability to learn from their own negative and positive experiences in their own personal transition from the Professional Registered Nurse role to the Novice Advanced Practice Nurse role
- Willingness to share their positive and negative learning experiences in their own personal transition from the Professional Registered Nurse role to the Novice Advanced Practice Nurse role
- Be willing to get involved
Benefits/Rewards of a Graduate Mentee
- Facilitated transition from the Professional Registered Nurse role to the Novice Advanced Practice Nurse student role
- Faster understanding of the differences and similarities between both roles
- Opportunity to avoid academic and clinical learning pitfalls
- Develop networking skills and resources
- Opportunity to learn from mentor’s successes and failures
Selection Process
Prospective Mentees would need to meet the described qualifications and complete an application. This application will be reviewed for approval by the designated faculty in charge of the Graduate Mentorship Program or her/his delegate.
Mentee Responsibilities
- Each mentee is assigned one graduate student mentor enrolled in a clinical specialty course
- Make contact with their mentors via phone or email at least once per week during the semester
- Attend at least one SON-sponsored event during the semester academic year with their mentor
- Fulfill all the mentee responsibilities inherent in the mentor-mentee relationship as described elsewhere in this document
- Peer Mentor Application
- Peer Mentee Application
- Mentor/Mentee Evaluation Tool
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