Group Mentoring: A Viable Alternative

New Graduate Nurse Mentorship Program

New graduate nurse mentorship programs are a part of our Transition to Practice (TTP) program and have been one-on-one (one mentor for each new graduate nurse) since the beginning of our program in 2018. Our facility hires three cohorts of new graduate clinical nurses yearly and by the end of 2022, we were struggling to provide a qualified mentor for each of our new graduate nurses. This situation was partly due to high nursing turnover and the increased number of novice nurses. Financial constraints also limited any extra compensation we could provide to mentors. Due to these issues, one-on-one mentoring of new graduate nurses was no longer a feasible option in our facility.

Addressing the Issue

The mentorship program is a key component of our TTP program, as it promotes nurse retention and provides valuable support and role models for nurses who are transitioning from nursing students to new graduate nurses. To find a new model for our mentoring program, we conducted a literature search for innovative mentoring ideas. We found a viable alternative mentoring program called group mentoring, a concept that was brought to the Nursing Professional Development Division for discussion. However, some barriers were identified with in-person group mentoring, including time, place, finances and access to qualified mentors. The team created a workable plan for group mentoring that was cost neutral and allowed us to move forward with the implementation of group mentoring.

Group Mentorship Program Plan Summary

• We started with the first two ulilot cohorts of our new group mentoring program for new graduates using Duchscher’s Transition Shock Model.
• Nursing professional development practitioners (NPDPs) were mentors for the pilot nurse mentorship program. They are salaried and have the professional nursing qualifications, communication skills and experience to act as mentors.
  • We familiarized the NPDPs with Duchscher’s model to understand the transition from academia to professional nursing practice.
  • Mentors lead group mentor sessions on new graduate nurse education days in classrooms.
    • The mentors listen to any experiences the new graduate nurses encounter in their practice, encourage interactive and supportive discussions, and ensure that each session is a safe space for nurses to share their experiences.
    • Discussions center on the states of the model: doing, being and knowing.
• We created standardized “mentor memos,” evaluations and resources to equip the mentors facilitating the mentee groups and maintain consistency in the practice.
• The TTP coordinator scheduled time and space for the mentorship group program.
  • We held one-hour group mentor sessions every other month throughout the 12-month TTP program. During months with no scheduled meetings, the mentors connect with their mentees via text messaging to maintain the continuity of the mentor-mentee relationship.
• We checked in with the mentees during their shift with the mentors during the alternate months (six times in a 12-month period).
• Mentor memos were completed after each group session.
• Evaluations of the program were conducted at the midpoint and endpoint of the program.

It is one thing to have a plan on paper; it is quite another to implement the plan and be successful. We are glad to say that group mentoring for new graduate nurses was a success and is still ongoing, with some learnings.

Learnings from our first two cohorts:

• Sometimes, a mentor will not be able to make the group session: Have a backup mentor available.
• Mentor discussions will go off track, and discussions will not always follow a script; be flexible.
• Too small a group may not provide enough interaction: We found that a group of five seems to encourage participation, and a smaller group stifled discussion.
• New graduate nurses requested text check-ins, not in-person visits: We are learning the needs and desires of a new generation of nurses.
• Mixed groups of mentees provided more robust discussions and increased mentee engagement.
• Sessions were scheduled after class, so if someone missed a class, they missed the mentoring session: Diligent follow-up with check-ins was then needed.

Evaluation Results

• Evaluations were scheduled for the midpoint and endpoint of the first two pilot cohorts.
• Qualitative data from midpoint evaluations for both cohorts revealed that:
• 83% of new graduate nurses agreed mentors were positive role models.
• An average of 80% agreed that group mentoring provided positive impacts, such as support, encouragement and beneficial discussions and contributed to their personal satisfaction as nurses.
• Unfortunately, less than 2% of the mentees completed the endpoint evaluations. Of those who did, all agreed they had engaged in beneficial discussions, received support and encouragement, and the sessions contributed to their personal satisfaction as nurses.

Improvements

• Honest feedback from mentors and mentees led us to seek mentors from our direct care nurses to provide a peer group mentoring experience. The peer group mentoring began with the November 2023 new graduate nurse cohort and is ongoing.
• Added resources were created for peer group mentoring. Examples of these resources include:
  • Icebreaker questions
  • Session guide questions
  • Group mentoring voice-over slide show with timeline, mentor expectations and role, and definition of mentoring
  • Mini videos (one to two minutes) on mentoring
• In November 2023, an in-person training class was held for the peer mentors. Subsequent cohorts received the same training but in a prerecorded class.
• Application forms were created and requested agreement that mentors would attend every peer group mentor session.
• Flyers were distributed in late 2023 that outlined the requirements for being a peer group mentor, listed dates of attendance and displayed a QR code on the mentor application. Currently, three peer group mentoring cohorts are participating in the program.
• More diligence is occurring to ensure that evaluation forms are completed on time to enable data collection.

Next Steps

• Qualitative data from the midpoint evaluations from the first peer group mentoring cohort is 100% positive. Everyone strongly agrees that the discussions are beneficial, they received support and encouragement, and the sessions contributed to their personal satisfaction as nurses.
• Group mentoring has proven to work in our facility, and we are expanding the use of group mentoring in different areas. Experienced nurses in the ICU are using group mentoring to challenge and advance their professional development.

Does Group Mentoring Work?

The answer is yes, but with good planning and skilled leadership. The advantage of group mentoring is that it takes fewer human resources. Providing group mentoring sessions during the TTP program ensured that meetings were occurring. Group mentoring promoted camaraderie, with nurses providing a supportive relationship for each other. Overall, the group mentoring sessions have provided a forum for new graduate nurses to share nursing stories and receive encouragement and support from more experienced nurses. Our hope is that the mentor-mentee relationships formed during the group mentoring sessions will be a foundation for future professional nursing and career development.

Additional Resources on Group Mentoring

• Essential tips for mentoring new nurses
• Mentoring models to support transition to practice programs: One size does not fit all
• Mentoring new graduates to decrease turnover: a pilot project
• Retention outcomes when a structured mentoring program is provided as part of the new graduate orientation
• The potential benefits of legacy mentoring for newly qualified nurses

Special Acknowledgement

I acknowledge and thank my co-author, Sarah Andre, (she/her) DNP, RN, AGCNS-BC, our nurse residency program coordinator, for contributing to the development of this blog.

Are you ready to try group mentoring?