Project Description
Problem
When entering the workforce, novice nurses possess great theoretical skills in their profession. However, they do not always have enough practice experience, and many of them feel unsure of how to become valuable team members in a healthcare organization. As a result, new nurses experience a lack of confidence. In turn, this leads to nurses feeling that they are not fit for the profession. Confidence is related to low turnover rates, job satisfaction, and positive patient outcomes (Brook et al., 2019; Hussein et al., 2017). Research suggests that mentorship programs are effective in increasing nurses’ confidence as they create meaningful relationships between experiences and new professionals (Brook et al., 2019; Hussein et al., 2017).
Purpose
Thus, the purpose of this project is to implement an evidence-based mentoring program and evaluate its effect on new nurses’ confidence. The chosen setting is the University of Miami Hospital, in particular, the stroke unit, which sees many patients with multiple comorbidities.
PICOT Question
For new nurses in the stroke unit at the University of Miami Hospital (P), how does the implementation of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN) Mentoring Program (I), compared to current practice (C), affect new nurse job confidence (O) over ten weeks (T)?
Project Implementation Plan
The project’s duration is ten weeks, with eight weeks being devoted to the mentoring program and two weeks focused on preparation as well as completion of the investigation.
During Week 1, 10-15 dyads of mentors and mentees will be recruited for the program. Both groups will sign informed consent forms and start the process of education for the structured mentorship program. The education will be delivered in two phases. First, the staff members will watch a presentation that will discuss the importance of mentorship as well as the aims and goals of the project and its duration, necessary procedures, and tests. After completing the survey about the presentation’s contents, the participants will attend the Mentoring Program orientation, where such topics as the framework of the model, foundational concepts of nursing, characteristics of successful mentoring, and strategies for using the mentoring model will be presented. The orientation will include a PowerPoint presentation, handouts, role play, simulation, and discussion. In the end, all participants discuss the information to see if they understand the contents of the project.
After the education is complete, the participants will be separated into mentor-mentee dyads. They will create a meeting schedule for the next eight weeks based on the AMSN recommendations. Finally, mentees will complete their first New Nurse Confidence Scale.
During Weeks 2-9, the mentor-mentee dyads follow the AMSN Mentoring Program. They meet and discuss topics and issues that the mentee wishes to understand. Moreover, they complete exercises presented in the AMSN program guide and document their process. Every two weeks, each dyad meets with the DNP student to ensure cooperation within the pair and to answer any arising questions. All feedback is collected by the student to make any urgent changes to the program.
After the completion of the program, both mentors and mentees provide feedback to the DNP student. Mentors complete the Assessment of the Relationship with the Mentee and Mentoring Program Satisfaction Survey provided by the AMSN (2020). Mentees (n=10-15) complete the New Nurse Confidence Scale again to create a second set of data for quantitative analysis. They also fill out the Assessment of the Relationship with the Mentor Survey and Mentoring Program Satisfaction Survey to enrich the findings and show whether the program was met positively.
Then, the gathered information is analyzed; the data from surveys are collected into one document and transmitted to the statistician. Finally, during Week 10, the central results of the intervention are presented.
Summative Evaluation
To answer the clinical question, the data is collected using the New Nurse Confidence Scale. This survey was developed by the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses in 2012. It contains 26 statements, each containing five possible answers. The items are summed, leading to a total score between 26 to 130, which implies interval data. The scores from nurse mentees before and after the intervention will be compared using a dependent-sample t-test. Prior to this calculation, the data will be tested for normality using normal probability plots and the Anderson-Darling, Shapiro-Francia, and Shapiro-Wilk tests.
Implications for Nurses
The present DNP project considers the scholarship surrounding new nurses’ confidence and provides additional insight into this issue. It uses an evidence-based tool to address the problem of new nurses feeling unfit for the profession and shows the potential of mentorship for overcoming such problems. Moreover, the project explores whether the AMSN program can be used outside of medical-surgical units.
Conclusion
The project’s goal is to address the issue of new nurses not feeling confident enough to progress in their profession. According to the existing scholarship, mentoring programs have proven to be effective in resolving this issue. Mentorship opportunities allow new nurses to connect with experienced professionals and gain practical skills in the new workplace.
The project is a quantitative investigation of whether the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses Mentoring Program can help novice nurses feel more confident in their workplace. The project’s duration is ten weeks, eight of which are devoted to the program’s completion. The main source of data is the New Nurse Confidence Scale developed by the AMSN; its pre- and post-test results are compared using the dependent-sample t-test.
References
Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses. (2020). Mentoring. Web.
Brook, J., Aitken, L., Webb, R., MacLaren, J., & Salmon, D. (2019). Characteristics of successful interventions to reduce turnover and increase retention of early career nurses: A systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 91, 47-59. Web.
Buerhaus, P. I., Skinner, L. E., Auerbach, D. I., & Staiger, D. O. (2017). Four challenges facing the nursing workforce in the United States. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 8(2), 40–46. Web.
Hussein, R., Everett, B., Ramjan, L. M., Hu, W., & Salamonson, Y. (2017). New graduate nurses’ experiences in a clinical specialty: A follow up study of newcomer perceptions of transitional support. BMC Nursing, 16(42), 1-9. Web.
Ulrich, B., Krozek, C., Early, S., Ashlock, C. H., Africa, L. M., & Carman, M. L. (2010). Improving retention, confidence, and competence of new graduate nurses: Results from a 10-year longitudinal database. Nursing economics, 28(6), 363-375.