My mentor

I had the opportunity to speak to my mentor briefly on Friday. I was telling her about my blog. She told me something very startling. She stated that all though she has been my mentor for many years, she too viewed me as one of her mentors. Wow..... She stated that sometimes the mentee becomes the mentor depending on the situation. A true give and take relationship. Have you ever had a similiar experience? With this information, do you have a different view of mentoring?

Qualities of a mentor

Now we have discussed what a mentor is and our best mentor. Let's talk about the qualities of a good mentor. I could make a very long list. What qualities do you think a mentor should possess? I'll start the list with compassion...

"Best" Mentor

Who is the "best" mentor you ever had and why?

My best mentor was a former supervisor who allowed me to learn while giving me autonomy in my practice. She was and still is readily available for guidance and support. She has been invaluable to me. She is honest, open, and a plethora of information, but knows when to defer when something is not her area of expertise.
I met her when I was an intern in the OR and she was a staff nurse in PACU. We have a strong bond now. We are both in leadership positions at this time and must on occasion work closely together to obtain collaboration for processes and procedures effecting my area and her areas. She was more than just my assigned preceptor. I had many preceptors while an intern, but only one mentor.

What is a mentor?

Homer (1998) in his epic poem Odyssey tells a story about the goddess Athena assuming the the role of a noblemen named Mentor who teaches and guides Oyssseus's son, Telmachus through challenges. For the past 3,000 years, mentors have served as guides. "The first year as a professional nurse is full of ambitions and challenges" (Halfer, 2007). The new nurse may need a full year to gain confidence in their new profession and may need to be guided to utilize professional development opportunities. (Casey, et al, 2004). A mentor can be the guide a novice nurse needs.

My favorite definition so far is from Sheila Grossman's book Mentoring in Nursing.

"Mentoring in nursing encompasses a guided, non-evaluated experience, formal or informal, assigned over a mutually agreed-on period of time that empowers the mentor and mentee to develop personally and professionally with the auspices of caring, collaborative, and respectful environment."

What do you believe a mentor is?