Demands on community nurse mentors: Are new models for practice necessary?

Abstract

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Bazian report (2015a) explored international mentorship models that focus less on 1:1 mentorship than on an increased ratio of students to a mentor, and this was used to inform the RCN (2015b) mentorship recommendations document to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). The need to examine new models for mentorship and make recommendations for future practice was identified, despite the Bazian report ( RCN, 2015a ) stating that among developed countries and national regulators and professional bodies, the UK seemed to possess the most detailed policy and guidance on student nurse mentoring. The models mentioned were not community nursing-focused, as this group of nurses visits people in their own homes. The need for new community mentorship models will be examined, alongside the need to support increasing numbers of student learners in practice, as the NMC is revisiting the Standards for Learning and Assessment in Practice ( NMC, 2008 ) and has provided draft guidance of forthcoming changes for mentors inviting comments, due to be refined and published 2018. This article will examine the challenges and benefits to community nursing of adopting new models of mentorship delivery.