Factors affecting the relationship between students on a diploma in nursing course and their mentors.

Student nurses learn best in placement settings, applying theory under supervision. Learning through practice enables students to reflect upon experiences in the light of critical thought about concepts, and is crucial to developing thinking, questioning practitioners. In 1987 the ENB recommended that nursing students be supervised during practical placements by a mentor who will help them gain the most from the experience.When this study began in 1991, there had been little research into how mentoring was being applied in nursing education in the UK, though there was considerable literature about mentoring in other fields and in nurse education in other parts of the world. These studies cannot be applied to UK nursing education for two reasons: differences in UK nurse education; and confusion about what 'mentor' means. While this investigation was in progress, much similar work was published; the findings were in broad agreement with this study.This study investigates how mentoring is working for students of the adult branch of a Diploma in Nursing course. Focus group interviews were performed and the analysis of these interviews was used to devise questionnaires, the responses to which were in turn analysed. The experiences of both mentors and students were considered. The study took place in a large centre during a period of major change within health care services in the UK. Major themes emerged from analysis of the qualitative data. Quantitative data were used to verify findings over a wider sample (144 mentors and 164 students).The findings show the potential for both positive and negative effects of mentoring in the study site. The investigation of the mentor role demonstrates differences in definition when it is applied to pre-registration nursing students to that applicable at later stages of career development. In particular the functions of supporting and skills teaching are accorded a high priority by nursing students. Both parties are shown to be subject to multiple stressors which, along with a variety of personal and organisational factors affect the quality of the mentor-student relationship.The study recommends preparation and support for mentors that acknowledges the importance of the supporting, befriending and skills teaching aspects of the role. The identification of the part played by students within the association highlights the need for teachers to generate realistic expectations of the relationship. Good practices identified on the study site may serve as a model for others.Further research is needed to investigate the workload involved in mentoring and the pattern of interaction that occurs when the mentoring relationship is perceived by one or other of the parties to be working in an unsatisfactory manner.