Page 183 - KNJIGA SAŽETAKA

INOVACIJE I IZAZOVI U OBRAZOVANJU I SESTRINSKOJ SKRBI - KNJIGA SAŽETAKA

The Role of Mentoring in the Development of Nurses'

Competencies

Competences are a combination of knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, abilities and judgment
that enable the valid performance of health care. This most often includes cognitive, technical,
psychomotor and communication skills, personal characteristics and the development of
interpersonal relationships. Competencies are the result of the level of education in nursing and
aim to provide safe, effective and ethically based health care. Mentors provide an opportunity
for future nurses to gain practical experience and apply theoretical knowledge in a real
environment. Through mentoring, nurses develop skills such as the correct application of
therapy, communication with patients and the performance of medically technical procedures,
etc. Mentors help nurse/technician students adjust to the work environment, learn protocols and
procedures, and feel secure in their role. They provide emotional support and share their
experience. Mentoring further encourages the development of critical thinking in nurses.
Mentors encourage them to analyze situations, make informed decisions and recognize the need
for change. In their work, mentors encourage future nurses to continuously learn, participate in
educations and follow new knowledge in medical practice. Clinical practices enable students to
develop critical thinking, communication skills and self-confidence. Mentors provide them with
support and guide them towards the development of competences. Ultimately, mentoring is a
bridge between theory and practice and plays a key role in the development of nurses'
competencies. This is crucial for quality healthcare and patient safety.
This paper investigates the role of mentoring in the development of nurses' competencies and
its importance in their education and practice. The aim of the research is to assess how
mentoring contributes to the development of key competencies of nurses and facilitates the
transition from theory to practice. Using a quantitative approach, the research will include
surveying final and third year medical school nurse/medical technician general care students to
gather data on their experiences, perceptions, and attitudes about mentoring.
A total of 108 students, 55 third-grade students (51 %), and 53 fifth-grade students (49 %)
participated in the implementation of this research, majoring in general care nursing. 3rd grade
students had significant experiences with mentoring during education and practice, unlike 5th
grade (moderate experience). 5th grade students describe the quality of mentoring as
"good/average/expected", 3rd grade describes the quality of mentoring as "excellent". The main
benefits of mentoring in their education and practice is practical experience and the application
of theory to both classes.
The biggest difficulties they experienced during mentoring in the 3rd grade are
misunderstandings and ambiguities, while in the 5th grade there is a lack of time and support
from the mentor. Mentoring contributed significantly to the development of nursing
competencies, and moderately in the 5th grade. The mentors fully supported the transition from
theory to practice, according to 39 students of the 3rd grade, and that they somewhat supported
33 students of the 5th grade. Through mentoring, the 3rd and 5th grades gained technical skills.
The effectiveness of mentoring in preparing for a future career would be assessed by the 3rd
grade as extremely effective, and the 5th grade as moderately effective. Students who had
quality mentoring showed better development of competencies compared to those who had
worse mentoring. Third-graders had a significantly positive perception of the quality of
mentoring and the impact of mentoring on the development of their nursing skills compared to
final-grade students.

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