Student nurses' perception of mentorship : a phenomenographic exploration of student nurses who have experienced a retrieval in clinical practice

Roberts, S

Abstract

Abstract

Nursing students undertake a series of practice placements over the course of their programme where they are mentored to provide the necessary clinical skills, competencies, and proficiencies to become a registered nurse (Rutkowski, 2007). Failure to meet the required standards for pre-registration nurse education (NMC, 2008) results in a second attempt or retrieval of the outstanding clinical competencies.
This thesis presents an exploration of the understanding and experience of the role of the mentor and factors aligned to mentoring in a group of nursing students who have retrieved a practice placement.
An analysis of the literature suggests that the voice of this group of nursing students has been ignored and failure to acknowledge how student nurses understand and experience mentorship and mentoring requires further exploration.
This study used a qualitative phenomenographic methodology, incorporating a mapping of different ways student nurses experience, conceptualise, perceive and understand various aspects of the phenomena (mentorship and being mentored) (Stenfors-Hayes, 2013). Semi-structured interviews and drawings/abstract were used to explore student nurses’ thoughts, understanding and perceptions of mentorship and the process of being mentored.
Key findings of the study are presented in four categories of description or ways of understanding mentorship and being mentored; Mentorship and being mentored and as unequal relationships; Mentorship and being mentored as being lucky; Mentorship and being mentored as prescribed learning and Mentorship and being mentored as independent learning.
Understanding the variation of student nurses’ experiences in clinical practice and the obstacles they may face, amongst those who have retrieved a practice placement, adds an original contribution to knowledge for future pre-registration programme design and for strategies to support students in clinical practice.

Citation

Roberts, S. Student nurses' perception of mentorship : a phenomenographic exploration of student nurses who have experienced a retrieval in clinical practice. (Thesis). University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jun 7, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 7, 2022
• Award Date: Oct 14, 2021