Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of peer mentoring on critical care nursing students’ learning outcomes in critical care units.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative exploratory research design was used to conduct the study. Ten critical care nursing students were recruited from critical care units in the five private and two public hospitals. Descriptions of their experiences were gained through individual face-to-face interviews.FindingsThe study reinforces peer mentoring as a vital strategy in helping the critical care nursing students to attain their learning outcomes. However, peer mentoring was not consistent in all hospitals and there were no structured support systems to ensure that peer mentoring was formalized. Making peer mentoring a vital component in the registered nurses core competencies would enable efficiency and guarantee the viability of peer mentoring.Research limitations/implicationsMentors for the critical care nursing students were not included in the study.Practical implicationsThe study identified a need for incorporating a formalized mentorship programme into the core competencies of all qualified critical care nurses, the unit mentor to familiarise themselves with the prescribed learning objectives of the critical care nursing student and an allocation of supernumerary time for the critical care nursing student and mentors to allow for formal mentoring responsibilities to take place.Originality/valueThe study reinforces peer mentoring as a vital strategy in helping the critical care nursing students to attain their learning outcomes and conscietises registered nurses of their responsibility as mentors.
Highlights
Critical ill patients are at a high risk for actual or potential life-threatening health problems and require intensive and vigilant nursing care (Urden et al, 2010)
The critical care nursing students in the current study, who had already had been in the course for six months or more, described their experiences regarding peer mentoring in the critical care unit and the influence that peer mentoring had on their learning outcomes and their perceptions regarding mentorship in the critical care unit
With regard to duration of their experience in the critical care unit, all ten participants had between 6–18 months of experience as critical care nursing students
Summary
Critical ill patients are at a high risk for actual or potential life-threatening health problems and require intensive and vigilant nursing care (Urden et al, 2010). According to Sole et al (2012), working in a critical care unit, either as a student or as a qualified staff member can be challenging. Mentors acting as peer teachers can ease the transition from the academic training classroom to the clinical unit by assisting the critical care nursing student with problem solving and clinical skills to be able to handle the emotional impact of the work. Peer mentoring means that students take responsibility for their own learning and active participation in their learning process. This helps them develop and enhance a range of skills including teamwork, collaboration, reflection and communication skills, which are important requirements in nursing (Christiansen and Jensen, 2008). The overall objective is to provide learning opportunities to students, in every area of placement, based on the level of training so that they are competent at the end of their programme (SANC, 1985)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Workplace Health Management
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
