“A game changer” – Educators’ and managers’ perspectives of a Clinical Practice Mentor model

Background

Amid a worldwide nursing and midwifery workforce shortage, recruiting and retaining graduates has become a priority in a competitive market. In 2023, to support a significant increase in graduates undertaking a Transition to Professional Practice Program, the role of the ‘Working with Wisdom’ Clinical Practice Mentor was implemented to provide clinical support across public acute and community health facilities.

Purpose

To explore the experience of the new Clinical Practice Mentor role with Transition Program managers and educators.

Method

A qualitative descriptive design was used to understand the experience of implementing and establishing the new role. Educators and managers involved in the Transition Program participated in individual interviews and focus groups. A process of inductive and deductive thematic analysis was used to analyse the interviews with managers and educators.

Result

Educators and managers (n = 169) participated in individual interviews and focus groups.

The most valued components of the new role were being supernumerary and working at the point of care. The role was flexible in the level of support they could provide graduates and the working hours of mentors. It was a job opportunity for experienced staff who were considering resignation or retirement. Participants highlighted the new model as an important recruitment and retention strategy for graduates and reduced pressure on senior staff often supervising a high number of less experienced staff.

Conclusion

The participants described that the model had set a new standard of support, and funding should continue to ensure the attraction and retention of graduates.