Peer mentoring: an encouragement to face the challenges of remote teaching of nursing students

Abstract

Objective: To describe the challenges faced in the transition to emergency remote teaching and the impacts of peer mentoring experienced by nursing students in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A descriptive study, with a qualitative approach, was carried out with students in the Undergraduate Nursing Mentoring Program at the University of Brasilia. Data was collected using an electronic form from March to May 2022 and thematic content analysis was used to process the data. Results: Two categories emerged: 1. The adversities of remote teaching and 2. Contributions of mentoring in the context of remote teaching. Conclusion: In the face of anguish and exhaustion due to the excess of virtual activities, the challenge of transforming the household into an environment conducive to studying, and the limitations in access to technologies, mentoring was shown to be a powerful strategy for coping with remote teaching by providing embracement, a sense of belonging to the university, motivation with the course, and bonds of affection among students in a period characterized by a new teaching-learning reality.