A call to action: mentoring within the nursing profession--a wonderful gift to give and share

• Published in: The ABNF journal Vol. 20; no. 4; pp. 106 - 108
• Main Authors: Wroten, Stephanie J, Waite, Roberta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Ms. Sallie Monique Allen 2009
• Subjects: African Americans; Education, Nursing; Humans; Mentors; Nursing; Nursing Staff - education; Organizational Culture; United States; United States
• ISSN: 1046-7041; 2169-4133

There is a great need for the use of mentors--professional mentors, peer mentors, faculty mentors, and student mentors--to expand the capacity for professional caregivers to meet the needs of a diverse society. Nurses need to become more proactive by taking part in mentoring within their own profession to promote successful leadership and professional development. The nursing profession is ever-evolving; however, its focus centers on the principle of human caring and this is most often related to patients. Nurses must apply this same principal of human caring to each other. Nurses are first and foremost human, requiring the human relationship of caring, support, and encouragement that can come from good mentorship. There is great potential for mentors to make important contributions to the career development of future minority nurse leaders-this demands a call to action. This article addresses the significance of mentoring in the growth and development of nurse leaders, faculty, and students. The focus is to place a call to seasoned professional nurses to gain knowledge on the importance of nurse mentorship in the development of our future nurse leaders. Recommended strategies include help for those interested in actively pursuing nursing mentorship.