Clinical Mentors Research Articles

Tube feeding in advanced dementia: Insights from South African speech-language therapists.

Speech-language therapists (SLTs) may recommend tube feeding even with minimal research evidence of its effectiveness, and an understanding of SLTs' perceived practices is warranted. To qualitatively describe a sample of South African SLTs' perceived practices regarding feeding tube placement in people with advanced dementia. Semi-structured online interviews were conducted via Microsoft Teams. Eight South African SLTs with a particular interest in advanced dementia, in public and private settings, were recruited. Data were analysed using inductive reflexive thematic analysis. Three main themes were identified: (1) factors influencing SLTs' decisions for feeding tube placement in people with advanced dementia; (2) nature of clinical setting and SLTs' decision-making and (3) SLTs' considerations to improve management of people with advanced dementia. Existing local palliative care guidelines were not employed in decisions about tube feeding. Most participants did not recommend tube feeding during end-of-life care. Perceived burden of care influenced participants' decisions about tube feeding. Speech-language therapists in South Africa likely have an increased reliance on clinical experience rather than recent research and guidelines for decisions about feeding tube placement. Findings accentuate the importance of clinical supervision, mentoring and continuous professional development in the workplace. The findings are an urgent call to action to improve SLTs' overall practices and ethical service delivery for people with advanced dementia and their families.Contribution:Factors and needs regarding SLTs' decision-making about feeding tubes in people with advanced dementia are highlighted.

Clinical nursing mentors’ motivation, attitude, and practice for mentoring and factors associated with them

ObjectiveTo investigate the motivation, attitude, and practice toward mentoring and related factors among clinical nursing mentors.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included clinical nursing mentors from 30 hospitals in Zhejiang Province between August and September 2023. Demographic information, motivation, attitude, and practice were collected through a self-administered questionnaire.ResultsA total of 495 valid questionnaires were collected, and most of the participants were 30–39 years old (68.7%). Average motivation, attitude, and practice scores were 29 [26, 32] (possible range: 8–40), 87 (82, 94) (possible range: 22–110), and 41 (38, 45) (possible range: 11–55), respectively. Correlation analyses showed that the motivation scores were positively correlated with attitude scores (r = 0.498, P < 0.001) and practice scores (r = 0.408, P = 0.001), while attitude scores were positively correlated with practice scores (r = 0.554, P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression showed that intermediate and senior nursing mentors (OR = 0.638, 95% CI: [0.426–0.956], P = 0.030) and different hospitals (OR = 1.627, 95% CI: [1.054–2.511], P = 0.028) were independently associated with motivation. The hospital’s frequency of psychological care was a significant factor associated with nursing mentoring motivation, attitude, and practice. Participation in training (OR = 2.908, 95% CI: [1.430, 5.913], P = 0.003) and lower frequency of job evaluation in hospital (“Often”: OR = 0.416, 95% CI: [0.244–0.709], P = 0.001 and “Sometimes”: OR = 0.346, 95% CI: [0.184–0.650], P = 0.001) were independently associated with practice.ConclusionClinical nursing mentors had adequate motivation, positive attitude, and proactive practice towards mentoring and associated factors. Clinical nursing mentorship should be enhanced by prioritizing mentor training, fostering a supportive environment with consistent psychological care, and promoting structured mentorship activities.

Transition shock among nursing interns and its relationship with patient safety attitudes, professional identity and climate of caring: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundNursing interns often experience lots of challenges during their clinical nursing internships, which can adversely affect career decisions and result in a squandering of nursing education resources. Patient safety attitudes, professional identity and climate of caring may affect nursing interns’ clinical experience. However, more evidence is requested to validate these relationships for nursing educators to develop effective education programs and facilitate interns’ successful transition.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study, which used a convenience sampling method to recruit 387 nursing interns during December 2022 to April 2023 in university affiliated hospital in Hunan province, China. Data were collected using standardized scales. Spearman correlation and multiple regression analysis were employed to examine the relationship between transition shock, patient safety attitudes, professional identity, and climate of caring.ResultsNursing interns experienced transition shock at a moderate level and the highest levels of transition shock in response to overwhelming practicum workloads, with the second being related to the conflict between theory and practice. Transition shock was negatively correlated with patient safety attitudes, professional identity and climate of caring among nursing interns.ConclusionsNursing managers and educators need to value the transition shock experienced by nursing interns. Our study suggests that developing a strong sense of professional identity and a positive attitude toward patient safety can be effective in reducing the level of transition shock among nursing interns. In addition, a caring climate within the nursing unit can significantly enhance the overall experience of nursing interns. This can be achieved by enhancing the support of clinical mentors, providing patient safety-focused education, and facilitating team communication among nurses.

Population-Level Portal-Based Anxiety and Depression Screening Perspectives in HIV Care Clinicians: Qualitative Study Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research.

Depression and anxiety are common among people with HIV and are associated with inadequate viral suppression, disease progression, and increased mortality. However, depression and anxiety are underdiagnosed and undertreated in people with HIV owing to inadequate visit time and personnel availability. Conducting population-level depression and anxiety screening via the patient portal is a promising intervention that has not been studied in HIV care settings. We aimed to explore facilitators of and barriers to implementing population-level portal-based depression and anxiety screening for people with HIV. We conducted semistructured hour-long qualitative interviews based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research with clinicians at an HIV clinic. A total of 10 clinicians participated in interviews. In total, 10 facilitators and 7 barriers were identified across 5 Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research domains. Facilitators included advantages of systematic screening outside clinic visits; the expectation that assessment frequency could be tailored to patient needs; evidence from the literature and previous experience in other settings; respect for patient privacy; empowering patients and facilitating communication about mental health; compatibility with clinic culture, workflows, and systems; staff beliefs about the importance of mental health screening and benefits for HIV care; engaging all clinic staff and leveraging their strengths; and clear planning and communication with staff. Barriers included difficulty in ensuring prompt response to suicidal ideation; patient access, experience, and comfort using the portal; limited availability of mental health services; variations in how providers use the electronic health record and communicate with patients; limited capacity to address mental health concerns during HIV visits; staff knowledge and self-efficacy regarding the management of mental health conditions; and the impersonal approach to a sensitive topic. We proposed 13 strategies for implementing population-level portal-based screening for people with HIV. Before implementation, clinics can conduct local assessments of clinicians and clinic staff; engage clinicians and clinic staff with various roles and expertise to support the implementation; highlight advantages, relevance, and evidence for population-level portal-based mental health screening; make screening frequency adaptable based on patient history and symptoms; use user-centered design methods to refine results that are displayed and communicated in the electronic health record; make screening tools available for patients to use on demand in the portal; and create protocols for positive depression and anxiety screeners, including those indicating imminent risk. During implementation, clinics should communicate with clinicians and clinic staff and provide training on protocols; provide technical support and demonstrations for patients on how to use the portal; use multiple screening methods for broad reach; use patient-centered communication in portal messages; provide clinical decision support tools, training, and mentorship to help clinicians manage mental health concerns; and implement integrated behavioral health and increase mental health referral partnerships.

"Nursing Students Assessment to the Clinical Learning Environment and Mentoring in Medical-Surgical Wards: Quantitative Research"

"Nursing Students Assessment to the Clinical Learning Environment and Mentoring in Medical-Surgical Wards: Quantitative Research"

“Discovering shine through feedback seeking”---feedback seeking among new graduate nurses: a qualitative study

BackgroundFeedback is critical to improving practitioners’ clinical practice and professional growth. Although they are still considered junior practitioners, their feedback-seeking experiences have yet to be investigated. This study aimed to understand the fundamental thoughts and experiences of new graduate nurses regarding feedback-seeking and to identify the main factors that influence their feedback-seeking behaviors.MethodsConducting a descriptive phenomenological study, semi-structured in-depth interviews with newly graduated nurses from four hospitals in Zhejiang Province, China, face-to-face or via video call in the hospital conference room through purposive and snowball sampling. Interview data were evaluated using Colaizzi’s 7-step phenomenological data analysis. The COREQ checklist was followed.ResultsA total of 15 new graduate nurses were interviewed as a sample, and 13 categories emerged from our data. They were categorized into four central elements: (1) perceptions and attitudes, (2) drivers, (3) dilemmas and needs, and (4) transformation and growth.ConclusionsThis study found that new graduate nurses have various needs but face dilemmas in the feedback-seeking process. Nursing managers should be proficient at providing positive leadership, collaborating with clinical mentors to foster an atmosphere where new graduate nurses may obtain honest, transparent, and fair feedback, and exercising caution when providing negative feedback.

Beyond Black and White: A Trainee Perspective on Addressing Cultural Complexities in Clinical Supervision

Existing literature on clinical supervision and mentorship tells us that clinical supervision is one of the most critical steps in developing competent Clinical and Counseling Psychologists. Given the various contextual/identity factors that can shape supervision relationships, it is essential to have a solid understanding of how to thrive in supervision relationships as trainees and supervisors when inevitable differences exist. Some examples of these contextual/identity factors that can shape supervision are gender identity, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, political affiliation, body size/ appearance, values, ability level, and many others. De-identified examples from experiences in supervision by this author are discussed to illustrate situations that can arise within supervision and to illuminate response strategies for supervisees and trainees. Strategies to promote culturally responsive clinical supervision and implications for training programs, supervisors, and supervisees are discussed.

Mentors Matter Recruitment Replication & Extension: Investigating Effects Across Implementation Years

The Mentors Matter Recruitment initiative leveraged state administrative data to recommend and successfully recruit more instructionally effective and experienced teachers to serve as clinical mentors, which, in turn, increased pre-service teachers’ readiness to teach. Prior results, however, focus on self-reported outcomes and stem from a single field experiment, raising questions about their replicability. In this paper, we replicate the previous study with a second cohort, finding again that the initiative led to the recruitment of more instructionally effective and experienced mentors. In addition, we examine new outcomes from administrative and program data, observing that candidates assigned to mentors recruited through our lists were rated as significantly more instructionally effective during student teaching. Given these promising results, we tested the same initiative at three new programs under less oversight from research partners and policymakers, finding that even under these more typical conditions, the initiative successfully produced significantly more instructionally effective and experienced mentors for a third time, though with smaller effects.

Outcome measures in clinical education research

. The Journal of Clinical Education in Physical Therapy (JCEPT) is an open-access journal that disseminates peer-reviewed quantitative and qualitative scholarship to increase the quality evidence available related to clinical education in physical therapy. Since 2021, the number of article downloads has increased by more than 10-fold, with annual increases exceeding 200%. Open-access allows JCEPT readers free access to both read online and download full-text articles. Last year, one article was viewed over 900 times while another was downloaded nearly 1,200 times. The Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) began indexing JCEPT last year and now accounts for 14% of our referral sources. Next year, we expect to obtain indexing in PubMed Central (PMC), which will further increase the discoverability of JCEPT articles. The nature of clinical education raises various challenges to research, with one being how to assess outcomes. Articles published this year in JCEPT reflect the thoughtful application of different approaches to outcome measures. Some questions were assessed with quantitative measures while others used qualitative research methods. Self-efficacy was measured in two different articles exploring the domains of cross-cultural psychological capital and clinical competence. Clinical reasoning was assessed using the physical therapy Clinical Performance Instrument in one article and script concordance tests in another. A more recently established outcome such as inter-professional socialization was assessed with a quantitative scale while emotional and educational adaptability themes were explored with qualitative methods. In past volumes, a SNAPPS model (summarize, narrow, analyse, probe, plan, select) of clinical mentoring was used to help students process initial evaluation findings and longitudinal narrative analyses were used to assess the development of resident clinical reasoning skills. Outcome measures assessing the effectiveness of clinical education are essential.1 Efforts may start with the thoughtful choice of psychometrically supported quantitative measures as well as rigorous description of qualitative measures.2 However, recent JCEPT articles suggest many factors can influence the quality of a clinician,1 including their educational curriculum, pre- clinical training, the clinical environment of their patient exposures, the individual characteristics and stresses of students and their clinical instructors, as well as environmental forces such as the COVID pandemic. Translating the effectiveness of clinical education to improved clinical care and patient outcomes remains a challenge for future researchers. JCEPT publishes scholarly work affecting any aspect of clinical education in physical therapy addressing academic or clinical faculty, entry-level students or residents, curricula or teaching and learning methods. In addition to original research, systematic reviews, and innovative teaching methods, this year JCEPT published our first ‘clinical education case report’ describing remediation methods during clinical training and related outcomes. We look forward to publishing more papers and developing the evidence underpinning physical therapy clinical education.

Effect of implementation strategies on pre-exposure prophylaxis persistence among female sex workers in South Africa: an interrupted time series study

A disproportionate number of new HIV infections in South Africa are among female sex workers; pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention is freely available to female sex workers in the country, but unique barriers challenge PrEP persistence. TB HIV Care, a large South African non-profit organisation that provides daily oral PrEP (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and emtricitabine), has implemented multiple strategies to improve PrEP persistence. We aimed to evaluate the effect of different implementation strategies on PrEP persistence in a large-scale real-world setting. In this interrupted time series study, we estimated level changes in 1-month oral PrEP persistence associated with roll-out of various implementation strategies among female sex workers across nine districts in South Africa. We used routinely collected data from TB HIV Care programme files from June 7, 2016, to April 30, 2021. Poisson regression of 1-month persistence was used to assess the effect of these strategies. In secondary analyses, we tested the association between each of the strategies and 4-month persistence. The median 1-month PrEP persistence for female sex workers was 33% (IQR 27-40). SMS support and refill reminders were associated with an 11% relative increase in 1-month persistence (risk ratio [RR] 1·11, 95% CI 1·02-1·26) and clinical mentoring for PrEP providers was associated with a 127% relative increase (RR 2·27, 95% CI 1·94-2·66) among female sex workers. The loyalty rewards programme was negatively associated with 1-month persistence (RR 0·71, 95% CI 0·67-0·83). Although clinical mentoring improved 4-month persistence, SMS support text messages had no significant effect. Identification and subsequent use of clinical mentoring for PrEP providers and SMS support and refill reminders might improve the usefulness of PrEP overall to prevent new HIV infections among female sex workers. PrEP persistence remains an important issue, and strategies to build on our findings are needed. National Institute of Mental Health and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

What Nursing Students Hope from Clinical Mistakes

Background: Nursing students are vulnerable to committing mistakes in clinical practice due to various factors. These factors include the quality of supervision received and interpersonal dynamics. This study examined students’ expectations if they make mistakes during clinical placement. Methods: A qualitative descriptive study design was employed in this study. Purposive sampling was adopted to recruit twelve undergraduate nursing students, and semi-structured interviews were conducted between October 2022 and December 2022. A thematic analysis strategy was utilised to analyse the data. Findings: Three themes were identified, namely: (1) The importance of supervision, (2) A dedicated clinical mentor, and (3) The value of reflective practice. Conclusion: The study showed that most nursing students emphasised the importance of clinical supervision from experienced nurses to handle clinical mistakes effectively. The findings emphasised the crucial role of the clinical mentor’s presence during the students’ clinical tasks. Furthermore, the students also expressed the significance of the student’s continued engagement in reflective practice

The importance of mentoring in the process of professional adaptation

Introduction: Practicing the profession of a nurse is associated with the acquisition of the ability to recognize the conditions and health needs of the patient, as well as its care problems. This requires graduates to obtain the appropriate competences and a proper process of professional adaptation. This is particularly important in hospital penitentiary units, where prisoners constitute a specific group of patients. At the stage of onboarding in specific conditions mentoring can effectively help. Mentoring is relationship between an older and a younger professional, intended to develop the potential in the student and allowing him to integrate into the profession. Aim of the study: The aim of the work was to get to know the opinions and views of professionally active nurses on mentoring in nursing and the factors influencing it. Methods and material of research: The research material consisted of survey answers from 206 professionally active nurses. To carry out the study, the diagnostic survey method, the survey technique and the author's questionnaire were used. The research was conducted from January to April 2023.Results: Introduction of a mentoring program in a given medical facility would encourage nurses to stay longer. For nurses, an important aspect is the appointment of a Mentor during the period of professional adaptation which would translate into better implementation of newly recruited employees. Younger nurses with shorter tenure were covered longer period of adaptation than older nurses, who in most cases were not covered by this process at all. Conclusions: The survey conducted in a group of professionally active nurses showed the need to support their professional development, especially at the beginning of their professional careers by introducing mentoring and the position of a Clinical Mentor. The majority of nurses indicated the need for such a program and willingness to participate. In their opinion, it would contribute to the improvement of clinical practice,increasing patient safety and reducing the risk of professional burnout.

Growing Novice Nurses to Perianesthesia Care: Formation of a Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) Fellowship

PurposeTo provide a proof of concept of a structured, replicable perianesthesia fellowship program for nurses with less than 2 years of experience and new graduate nurses. DesignAn immersive learning experience was implemented as a pilot quality improvement project using the Plan-Do-Study-Act method. MethodsThis 24-week fellowship program used blended learning approaches and the Tiered Skill Acquisition Model (TSAM) to develop foundational Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) skills. Nurse Fellows (4) acquired knowledge in stages, with each week in the program reinforcing and building upon the prior week's learnings. Settings included an initial 10 weeks in the ambulatory PACU, then the acute care PACU (weeks 11-20), and the final 4 weeks were spent in the primary unit where the Fellow would transition into a PACU Staff RN. Through each phase, the Professional Practice Department’s Clinical Mentor Nurse promoted preceptor development, facilitated learning experiences and provided bimonthly evaluations of the Nurse Fellow’s progress via our institution's clinical rounding tool. We used the Nursing Anxiety and Self-Confidence Associated with Clinical Decision Making (NASC-CDM) scale to assess novice nurses’ anxiety and self-confidence associated with making clinical decisions at designated intervals. FindingsAll Nurse Fellows completed the program and remained in PACU positions 2 years post-fellowship. They reported discomfort and increased stress transitioning to different PACUs; however, they later indicated reduced anxiety and greater confidence in clinical decision-making, as noted in subsequent evaluations of the NASC-CDM scale. ConclusionsPerianesthesia fellowship programs incorporating blended learning, skill reinforcement, and formal mentoring on a primary PACU unit build confidence and competence in the novice nurse, making this once-excluded population of nurses a viable option for recruitment directly into the PACU environment.

Undue Burden the Medical School Application Process Places on Low-Income Latinos

Undue Burden the Medical School Application Process Places on Low-Income Latinos

Improving Malaria Case Management and Referral Relationships at the Primary Care Level in Ghana: Evaluation of a Quality Assurance Internship.

In Ghana, Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds managed by trained nurses and midwives called community health officers (CHOs) play a major role in malaria service delivery. With heavy administrative burdens and minimal training in providing patient care, particularly for febrile illnesses, including malaria, CHOs struggle to comply with the World Health Organization's test, treat, and track initiative guidelines and appropriate referral practices. A clinical training and mentorship program was implemented for CHOs to prevent and manage uncomplicated malaria and offer appropriate pre-referral treatment and referrals to district hospitals. Medical officers, pharmacists, midwives, health information officers, and medical laboratory scientists at 52 district referral hospitals were trained as mentors; CHOs from 520 poorly performing CHPS compounds underwent a 5-day internship at their assigned district referral hospital to improve knowledge and clinical skills for malaria case management. Three months later, mentors conducted post-training mentoring visits to assess knowledge and skill retention and provide ongoing on-the-job guidance. Significant percentage-point increases were observed immediately post-internship for history taking (+12.0, 95% confidence interval [CI]=8.3, 15.1; P<.001); fever assessment (+24.9, 95% CI=20.9, 29.3; P<.001); severe malaria assessment and referral (+32.0, 95% CI=28.2, 35.8; P<.001); and knowledge assessment (+15.8, 95% CI=10.0, 21.3; P<.001). Three months later, a third assessment revealed these gains were largely maintained. Analysis of national health management information system data showed statistically significant improvements in testing, treatment, and referral indicators at intervention CHPS compounds after the intervention that were not observed in comparison CHPS compounds. This training and mentorship approach offers a replicable model to build primary care provider competencies in malaria prevention and management and demonstrates how developing relationships between primary care and first-level referral facilities benefits both providers and clients. More methodologically rigorous studies are needed to measure the impact of this approach.

Improving surgical safety checklist utilisation at 23 public health facilities in Ethiopia: a collaborative quality improvement project

BackgroundIn 2009, the WHO introduced the surgical safety checklist (SSC) as one of the interventions for improving patient safety. The systematic use of structured checklists during surgery has been shown...

Design and Implementation of a New Orientation Program Based on Core Competencies and a Clinical Mentor Model.

A large pediatric hospital redesigned the traditional task-based orientation program to one based on the Synergy Model for Patient Care nurse competencies, enhanced identification of learning needs, critical thinking exercises, and use of experienced staff in the role of clinical mentor. Development of a role to coordinate the learning experiences of the new hire was essential to creation of a model built upon the framework of the core competencies needed to care for a unit's population of patients.

A Scoping Review on the Clinical Supervision and Mentoring for Nurses in Maternal and Child Health

Purpose: This scoping review aimed to identify application methods, effectiveness, facilitating factors, and obstacles to clinical supervision for nurses in maternal and child health and to understand its discriminatory characteristics compared to mentoring.Methods: This study was based on the scoping review methodology and consisted of six stages: (1) identifying research questions; (2) identifying relevant studies (search strategy); (3) study selection; (4) charting of the data; (5) collating, summarizing, and reporting the results; and (6) consultation. From April to July 2022, 1,323 studies were searched in PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane, and Open Gray, and finally eleven studies were selected through the literature selection process.Results: Because clinical supervision aimed to strengthen the professional capabilities of nurses, reflective practice was applied. However, mentoring was designed to acquire knowledge or skills that can be applied directly in practice. Therefore, indicators to measure the effects of clinical supervision consisted of psychosocial factors, such as job satisfaction and exhaustion, but the effects of mentoring were evaluated primarily using knowledge levels and skills. The model, which is applied mainly in clinical supervision, reflects the restorative function. When applying clinical supervision and mentoring, listening, supportive environment, and accessibility were identified as facilitating factors, while criticism, lack of time and space, and excessive workload were identified as obstacles.Conclusions: Time and space must be secured to provide effective clinical supervision. The confidentiality of the supervisee must be guaranteed, and sufficient information must be provided in advance so that nurses can accurately recognize the clinical supervision process. Finally, a policy for institutionalizing clinical supervision should be supported to ensure its applicability and sustainability.

The effect of modified observation-teaching-discussion pedagogy combined with microteaching on the critical thinking ability of nursing interns in China: a quasi-experimental study

AimThe aim of this study is to investigate the effect of modified observation-teaching-discussion pedagogy combined with microteaching on improving the critical thinking ability of nursing interns in China.MethodsTwo hundred baccalaureate nursing students practicing in the department of neurosurgery were divided into two groups chronologically, with 100 students per group. The control group received traditional clinical mentoring while their counterparts in the intervention group received mentoring by modified observation teaching discussion pedagogy combined with microteaching. Then, we compared the two groups with respect to theoretical knowledge and nursing operation skills. The Critical Thinking Ability Scale was used to evaluate the critical thinking ability of the two groups of nursing students. Data were analyzed with SPSS 22.0 software.ResultsFollowing the internship, the scores of nurses in the intervention group were significantly higher than those in the control group for theoretical knowledge, technical skills and critical thinking ability (p &amp;lt; 0.05 for all).ConclusionThe application of modified observation-teaching-discussion pedagogy in combination with microteaching promoted the knowledge, technical skills and critical thinking ability of nursing students in clinical practice.

THE INFLUENCE OF MENTORSHIP ON THE PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT OF NURSES

Background: In the “century of knowledge” in which we live, to become and remain a part of contemporary trends in society, it is necessary to constantly learn and acquire the skills necessary for better coping, both in personal and professional life. Contemporary scientific, technological, and educational currents in society impose new tendencies on us in life, work, and education. It is the same with the concept of mentoring in nursing, which has not been known “since yesterday, but only now is its value and true meaning formally recognized Aim: The objective is to examine the impact of mentoring on the professional and personal development of nurses and mentors. Subjects and Methods: The research was conducted prospectively during June, July, and August 2023 at University Hospital Osijek, at the clinics and departments that are the teaching bases of the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health in Osijek. Participants were bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing, external collaborators, and mentors of clinical practice for undergraduate students of nursing at the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health in Osijek. The criterion for inclusion was: active mentors during the academic year 2022-2023. The research instrument was a questionnaire consisting of seven questions about the general characteristics of the respondents (gender, age, years of work experience in the profession, level of education, additional education, and jobs they perform). The second part of the questionnaire consisted of a structured instrument of 57 questions divided into four categories, which were designed according to the „Mentorship Evaluation Form" (School of Medicine, University of Virginia) and the “Mentor Evaluation” (Connecticut Mentoring Partnership, Business Guide to Youth Mentoring, authors: Diane Hale, Susan Patrick, and Dr. Susan Weinbergeron). Five questions were also taken from the questionnaire that was used in the research ”Mentoring in nursing education: Perceived characteristics of mentors and the consequences of mentorship” by Sabine Huybrecht, Department of Healthcare Sciences, Arthresis University College Antwerp, Belgium. Results: Clinical mentors with experience in mentoring for 5 to 7 years think that the most significant indicator of their personal development is the development of skills. Other indicators did not show any kind of significance. Clinical mentors with clinical experience for 21 to 30 years think that the most complicated things regarding mentorship are personal factors, while clinical mentors with working experience for less than 20 years think that it is about professional factors. Clinical mentors with clinical experience of more than 40 years think that they don’t have any complicated factors regarding their mentorship as well as professional and personal development. Conclusion: Mentorship has a big influence on the professional and personal development of nurses as clinical mentors. Mentorship is a valuable informative strategy within all levels of nursing and healthcare educational settings. A mentoring relationship gives back to the profession by instilling gratification and encouraging professional growth for both the mentor and the mentee.