Mentorship needs and experiences of young Nigeria nurses: A mixed-methods study

Abstract

Mentorship is crucial for young nurses’ professional and academic advancement. Evidence suggests that mentorship has led to the expansion of professional networks, provided career development opportunities, and improved the self-confidence of young nurses. Although mentorship is not new to nursing, little is known about the state of mentorship in Nigeria nursing. While we are interested in developing a mentorship program for young nurses in Nigeria, we currently lack evidence to guide this development. The objective of the study was to explore the career experiences, challenges and mentorship needs of young nurses and to assess their perception of and level of involvement in mentorship. A mixed-method study was conducted using the convergent parallel design. A cross-sectional survey and a descriptive in-depth interview were conducted. Quantitative data collected via online survey were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Young nurses totaling twenty-eight were interviewed, while 260 others participated in the survey. Majority of the respondents (92.3%) agreed that mentorship is in scarce supply in Nigeria. Overall, 78.8% had high mentorship needs, and 80% were not part of any structured mentorship program. The challenges experienced included inadequate career guidance, poor psychological support, an unsupportive academic environment, poor clinical mentorship, conflict between older and younger nurses, and poor clinical mentorship. Mentorship needs included career, leadership and administration, research and scholarship, professional, practitioner, political and psychological issues. The participants were willing to be part of a structured mentorship program. Although young nurses were encumbered with varying challenges, these challenges are not insurmountable. We hereby recommend the development of a structured, need-specific mentorship program to meet the mentorship needs of this population.