Newly qualified registered nurses’ experiences and perceptions of mentorship in a public private partnership hospital in Lesotho

Date
2019-04
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY: Background: Mentoring is used widely in the nursing fraternity to enhance socialisation and professional development for newly employed registered nurses. To date, most studies have explored the mentoring needs of newly qualified nurses and outcomes of mentoring programmes within high resource contexts. This qualitative study addressed the gap identified in the literature by exploring the experiences and perceptions of newly qualified registered nurses regarding mentoring as a mechanism for professional socialisation and development within a resource-constrained context that did not have a structured mentoring programme in place. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to explore the mentoring needs of newly qualified registered nurses, determine barriers and enablers to the mentoring process as experienced by newly qualified registered nurses, and to make recommendations regarding the possible development of a structured mentoring programme at Queen Mamohato Memorial Hospital (QMMH). Methods: For the purpose of this study, an exploratory descriptive design, using qualitative methodology to generate data, was selected. Focus group interviews were used to explore newly qualified registered nurses’ experiences and perceptions of mentoring during their first year of employment at QMMH. Themes and sub-themes were identified by means of content analysis. Results: The results of this study showed that newly qualified registered nurses have the need for a structured mentoring process during their first year of employment. Various barriers related to mentoring at QMMH were identified, including the lack of an adequate induction process, the high workload experienced by both the newly employed registered nurses and the experienced registered nurses who were expected to mentor them, and the negative attitude of some of the experienced staff members towards newly employed registered nurses. Potential enablers to mentoring at QMMH included multi-disciplinary team work and the welcoming attitude that some of the nurses in the wards displayed towards newly qualified registered nurses when they entered the wards for the first time. Conclusion: The findings of the study reflected the challenges experienced by newly qualified registered nurses in terms of professional growth and development during their first year of clinical practice. The findings revealed important information regarding mentoring at QMMH, which enabled the researcher to develop a clear understanding of participants’ experiences and perceptions. It is envisaged that the findings of this study will make a contribution to the development of a needs-oriented mentoring programme at QMMH. The need for further research, that explores mentoring as a mechanism for professional socialisation and development, was also identified.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Agtergrond: Mentorskap word algemeen in die verpleeggemeenskap gebruik om sosialisering en professionele ontwikkeling vir nuut aangestelde geregistreerde verpleegkundiges te bevorder. Tot op datum het die meeste studies die mentor behoeftes van nuut gekwalifiseerde verpleegkundiges en uitkomste van mentorskapprogramme binne hoë hulpbronkontekste ondersoek. Hierdie kwalitatiewe studie het die gaping wat in die literatuur geïdentifiseer is aangespreek deur die ervarings en persepsies van nuut gekwalifiseerde geregistreerde verpleegkundiges oor mentorskap as 'n meganisme vir professionele sosialisering en ontwikkeling binne ʼn lae hulpbronomgewing, sonder enige formele mentorskapprogramme, te ondersoek. Doelwitte: Die doelwitte vir hierdie studie was om die mentorbehoeftes van nuut gekwalifiseerde geregistreerde verpleegkundiges te ondersoek, en hindernisse en bemagtigers te bepaal vir die mentorproses soos deur hul ondervind, om sodoende aanbevelings te maak oor die moontlike ontwikkeling van ʼn gestruktureerde mentorprogram by Queen Mamohato Gedenkhospitaal (QMGH). Metodes: Vir die doel van hierdie studie is ʼn verkennende beskrywende ontwerp gekies, en data is ingesamel deur middel van ʼn kwalitatiewe metodologie. Fokusgroeponderhoude is gebruik om nuut gekwalifiseerde geregistreerde verpleegkundiges se ervarings en persepsies van mentorskap tydens hul eerste jaar van diens by (QMGH) te ondersoek. Resultate: Die resultate vir hierdie studie toon dat daar tydens hul eerste jaar van werk ʼn groot behoefte is aan gestruktureerde mentorskap onder nuut gekwalifiseerde geregistreerde verpleegkundiges. Deelnemers het hindernisse en bemagtigers van die mentorproses by (QMGH) geidentifiseer. Verskeie hindernisse wat verband hou met mentorskap by (QMGH) is geidentifiseer, insluitend die gebrek aan 'n voldoende induksieproses, die hoe werklading wat ondervind word deur beide die nuut aangestelde geregistreerde verpleegkundiges en die ervare geregistreerde verpleegkundiges van wie verwag word om hulle te mentor, asook die negatiewe houding van sommige van die ervare personeellede teenoor nuut aangestelde geregistreerde verpleegkundiges. Potensiele bemagtigers vir mentorskap by (QMGH) sluit in multidissiplinere spanwerk en die verwelkomende houding wat sommige van die verpleegkundiges in die sale getoon het teenoor nuut gekwalifiseerde geregistreerde verpleegkundiges toe hulle vir die eerste keer daar begin werk het. Gevolgtrekking: Die studiebevindinge weerspieel die uitdagings wat nuut gekwalifiseerde geregistreerde verpleegkundiges gedurende hul eerste jaar van kliniese praktyk ervaar in terme van professionele groei en ontwikkeling. Die bevindinge het belangrike inligting oor mentorskap by (QMGH) geopenbaar wat die navorser ʼn duidelike begrip van deelnemers se ervarings en persepsies gegee het. Daar word gehoop dat hierdie navorsingstudie ʼn bydrae sal lewer tot die ontwikkeling van ʼn behoefte-georienteerde mentorskapprogram by (QMGH). Verdere ondersoek moet gedoen word om mentorskap as ʼn meganisme vir professionele sosialisering en ontwikkeling te verken.
Description
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2019.
Keywords
Nursing students -- Training of -- Lesotho, Nurses -- In-service training -- Lesotho, Mentoring in nursing -- Lesotho, UCTD
Citation