Mentoring Makes a Difference
Labor shortages aren't just a news item for Heather Crawford; they are something she must deal with every day as Chief of Nursing and Professional Practice for Alberta Health Services in Grande Prairie. Recruitment, retention and practice readiness are top priorities for her. "There is a huge drop-out rate for Canadian nurses - close to 20 per cent in the first three years of employment," she explains. "Combine that with increasing retirements and it's clearly in our best interest to do more to help our new recruits."
Enter Doug Norton, himself new to the position of Divisional Leader of Education and Research Services. He saw mentoring as one way to help retain professionals and so he was eager to revive the mentoring program. His SEARCH VI local project dovetailed perfectly. His research identified the factors that contribute to successful formal mentoring programs within health care.
Norton's research pointed to a number of refinements that could be made to the mentoring program, including the need for operational support, training of mentors, and screening for motivated mentors. Crawford notes that Norton's work has already impacted the organization.
"One of the most valuable outcomes is that we now have an expert in mentoring within our organization," Heather says. "Doug's expertise is vital to getting the program going. Another outcome is that group mentoring is being integrated into our nursing residency program, which assists graduate nurses as they move from being students to professionals. Mentoring will also be integrated into leadership development and made available to new hires in clinical and non-clinical areas."
For his own professional development, Norton says that SEARCH was a great help as he transitioned from a career in mental health into professional practice support. "SEARCH gave me the tools to make an effective transition. It moved me into a whole new area of research that connects me to the organization at different levels."