Mentoring provides an opportunity for a nurse to develop their careers and an opportunity to aim for leadership positions. A mentor should be able to train and guide a newbie nurse to better understand the importance of his or her profession. Mentors should be able to give support, reinforcement to motivate and to increase the job satisfaction rate of a mentee-nurse. Mentoring is a helpful method in the recruitment and retaining staff members in a medical institution for the citizen of the community.

Mentoring is…

• A relationship that is professional and based on free will.
• A relationship that has communal respect and goals.
• A relationship that is beneficial to individuals involved.

The two types of mentoring are…

• Formal: a peer kind of mentor-mentee relationship.
• Informal: mentor-mentee relationship that is structured and created at a general practice.

Mentoring relationships needs…

• Trust
• Respect
• Commitment
• Confidentiality
• Accessibility
• Flexibility

The crucial facets of a mentoring relationship are…

• Objectives and goals.
• Shared networks and resources.
• Time and process for evaluation.

Mentors may assists mentees by…

• Making new nurses understand their role in general practice.
• Making new or veteran nurses manage in the ever changing role in nursing practice.
• Making new or veteran nurses manage practice settings with issues that are new and existing.
• Making new or veteran nurses manage professional practice that deal with personal needs.

The benefits and advantages of being a mentee is…

• To understand how the general practice functions.
• To build up interpersonal skills.
• To receive encouragement, support and feedback.
• To acquire know-how about practice nurse roles.
• To have a chance to expand networks and lessen isolation in the profession.
• To get help in clarifying career pathways and goals.

The benefits and advantage of being a mentor is…

• To take part in the chance to contribute one’s experience and wisdom.
• To build up interpersonal skills.
• To achieve a feeling of self worth and satisfaction.
• To achieve further know-how in a new role.
• To achieve recognition and acknowledgement among colleagues for the contribution to the general practice as mentor.
• To have a chance to expand networks and lessen isolation in the profession.

The benefits and advantages of mentoring nurses in the general practice is that…

• Through mentoring nurses are becoming more productive and motivated.
• Through mentoring the general practice have the upper-hand in catching the attention of prospective staff members.
• Through mentoring staff members improved their teamwork and communication skills.
• Through mentoring participating staff members are gaining positive commitment.

What not to anticipate of mentoring in the general practice:

• Mentoring is in NO way a substitute to meet education needs.
• Mentoring is in NO way a universal remedy for all concerns, issues and problems.
• Mentoring is in NO way a substitute for a professional educator.

In general practice a mentor is not…

• An advocate.
• A tutor.
• An educator.

Thus mentors should not be expected to know all the answers to all questions and queries. On the other hand, mentors should be able to give guidance and assistance to significant matters that may need relevant information and sources. Basically, mentors are only there to guide mentees in the search for learning experiences that are not taught in the four corners of a classroom.