Basic skills for mentors

1. Mentoring
The Role of the Mentor and the Role
of the Learners in the Clinical
Placement
Musa Abu Sbeih
Head of Nursing Services
Ibn Sina Hospital

2. Outcomes
By the end of the session you will be able to:
 Define the following terms: mentoring, mentor
and mentee
 Understand the values of a good mentor and
mentee
 Understand core mentoring principles
 Understand learning styles
 Create the right climate for successful mentoring
 Understand the OSNI Mentoring Scheme

3. Mentoring defined
 ‘To help and support people to manage their
own learning in order to maximise their potential,
develop their skills, improve their performance
and become the person they want to be.’
Parsloe 1992
 ‘Mentoring includes coaching, counselling and
networking. It is not necessary to dazzle the
protégé with knowledge and experience. The
mentor just has to provide encouragement by
sharing his enthusiasm for his job.’
Clutterbuck 1991

4. What are the attributes of a
mentor?
 Supportive
 Patient
 Respected
 People oriented
 Good Motivator
 Effective Trainer
 Able to give Mentee
Clinical Placement
Visibility
 Accept Others
 Secure in Position
 An Achiever

5. What is the role of a mentor?
1. Teacher – a mentor needs to teach the mentee the skills and
knowledge required to perform his/her position successfully.
2. Problem solver – refer mentees to resources and offer options.
3. Motivator – a mentor may at times need to generate motivation
with the mentee. Motivation is an inner drive that compels a
person to succeed.
4. Coach – to help mentee to overcome performance difficulties
through positive feedback (reinforce behavior) and constructive
feedback (change behavior).
5. Guide – to help mentee to set realistic goals. Five goal setting
factors: specific, time-framed, results oriented, relevant, and
reachable. “If you don’t know where you are going, you won’t
know how to get there.” (unwritten rules)

6. What is the role of a mentor?
6. Sponsor - create opportunities for the mentee. Opportunities
related to job or the mentee’s overall professional development.
7. Advisor – help mentee to develop professional interests and set
realistic career goals
8. Role Model – The mentor is a living example of the values,
ethics, and professional practices of the clinical placement
9. Referral Agent – The mentor works with the mentee to develop
an action plan outlines with knowledge, skills, and abilities ae
nedded to reach career goals.
10.Door Opener – the role of door opener is to open up doors of
opportunity

8. What Does It Take to Be a
Mentor?
 Desire
 Time
 Organized & goal oriented

9. What Does the Mentor Get Out of
It?
 Pass on successes
 Share expertise
 Practice interpersonal & management skills
 Become recognized
 Expand their horizons
 Contribute to success of mentee

10. What is a mentee?
“A mentee is an achiever--
’groomed’ for advancement
by being provided opportunities
to excel beyond the limits of
his / her position”

11. What are the attributes of a
mentee?
 Willing to learn
 Positive Attitude
 Risk Taker
 Able to accept & offer feedback
 Willing to “stretch”
 Able to identify goals
 Communicate clearly their needs
 Can be Patient

12. What is the role of a mentee?
Learner – a strong desire to learn new skills and abilities
Decision maker – take charge of your education
Initiator – mentee is willing to explore challenges on their
own initiative.
Risk taker – “If you want to increase your success rate,
double your failure rate,” quote by Thomas Watson, Sr.,
founder of IBM.
Goal setter – if you know where you are going, people are
willing to help guide you.

13. What Does the Mentee Get Out of
It?
 Listening ear
 Valuable direction
 Gaps filled in
 Doors opened
 Different perspective

14. Possible barriers to effective mentoring
1. Little discussion.
2. Unrealistic (or extremely
differing)views of the
mentoring relationship.
3. Insufficient time
4. Low level of commitment
5. Inadequate understanding of
roles, boundaries, and
contributions and/or methods.

15. 4. Five Essential Principles on Effective
Mentoring
1. RESPECT
2. TRUST
5. PARTNERSHIP
BUILDING
3. REALISTIC
EXPECTATIONS
4. TIME

16. Mentoring Styles
Coaching Guardian
Networking Counselling
Directive
Non-Directive
Stretching
Challenging
Nurturing
Supporting
Mentoring

17. Mentoring Process
A seven-step mentoring process:
1. Define mentoring
2. Attributes of a mentor
3. Identify a mentee
4. Develop mentoring guidelines
5. Perform appropriate roles
6. Evaluate your mentoring
relationship
7. End the mentoring relationship

18. Mentoring Process
Stage 1
Confirm Personal Professional
Development Plan (PPDP)
Stage 2
Encourage the self-
management of learning
Stage 3
Provide support during the PPDP
process
Stage 4
Assist in evaluation of
success

19. Being a Mentor
Key Skills
 Active Listening
 Questioning
 Giving Feedback

20. Mentor Qualities
 Integrity
 Honesty
 Reliability
 Non-judgmental attitude
 Objectivity
 Seeing potential

21. Being a Mentor
Major Dangers
 own natural preferences
 bias
 giving advice & suggestions to appear
helpful
 thinking you can do it all
 allowing dependency to develop

22. Mentors
Enable
Encourage
Enthuse

23. Who Benefits
The mentee
Focussed career development
Improved self-confidence
Advice and guidance
Access to networks and contacts
Management development
The mentor
Personal development
Job satisfaction
Developed interpersonal skills
Discovering talent
Professional status
The organisation
Development of skills bank
Focused employees
Planned work programmes
Increased efficiency
Improved staff morale
Low cost career development
The profession
Improved networks
Managed career development
Focused individuals
Communicated standards
Status

24. The Mentoring Process
Stages:
 confirm the PPDP and goals (mentee
submit Mentoring form and PPDP)
 identify activities and encourage self-
management of learning
 provide support through the PPDP
process
 assist in evaluation of success

25. The Mentoring Agenda
First Meeting
 establish expectations
 check what confidentiality means to each
of you
 agree meetings schedule & ‘emergency’
contact
 determine boundaries
 how will you evaluate at the end of the
process

26. The Mentoring Agreement
 Doesn’t need to be very complex
 Consider objectives of the mentee - this
will differ according to the needs of the
mentee may include discussion, guidance,
reading portfolio etc.
 Discuss contact information - how
frequently are you happy for the mentee to
contact you?
 Write names on bottom of form (not just
signature)

27. The Mentoring Agenda
Future meetings - preparation for Mentee
 What do you want to discuss today?
 What successes/achievements have you
experienced since the last meeting?
 What targets have you not met?
 What insights, conclusions, lessons have
you noted?
 What challenges are you facing?
At end note - What actions need taking
before the next meeting?

28. PPDPs
Personal Professional Development Plan
 Self-appraisal - SWOT
 Colleague appraisals - SWOT
 Assess goals
 What skills/knowledge/experience is
needed to meet these goals?
 What is the gap between what you need
and what you have now?
 Identify learning activities to help bridge gap

29. PPDP
Training & Proposed Anticipated Expected Actual
Devl Need Action Outcome Timescale Outcome
Training Trainers Confident March
Skills Course delivery of 2007
Shadowing training to
staff

30. Ending the Relationship
 Review what has been delivered in terms
of expected and unexpected outcomes for
both parties
 Review what has not been delivered
 Explore what is expected next - informal?
 Explore where the mentee may find
support in other areas
 Celebrate their Chartership!

31. The Mentoring Checklist
 Check yourself against the questions
 Tick against each item you feel you meet
 Don’t panic if you don’t feel you have
everything you need
 Think through what you might do to feel
confident/improve any area- enter action(s)

32. References
Mentorship Book References
 Nicklin P J, Kenworthy N (2000) Teaching and Assessing in Nursing
Practice: an experiential approach, Edinburgh, Balliere Tindall.
 Quinn F M (2000) The Principles & Practice of Nurse Education –
4th Edition, Cheltenham, Stanley Thomas
 Stuart C C (2003) Assessment, Supervision & Support in Clinical
Practice: A guide for nurses, midwives and other health
professionals, China, Churchill Livingstone