The Effects of Structured Mentorship and Onboarding of Novice Nursing Faculty
Kayla Lambert, Dana Sanders Dorris, Amy Williams
Abstract
Background: The United States currently is experiencing a nursing faculty shortage that greatly affects the number of nurses entering professional practice. Nurse faculty transitioning from clinical practice to academia face challenges that may have negative effects on job satisfaction and feelings of competence. Despite barriers, quality nursing faculty are needed. Method: This quality improvement project evaluated the effects of an 8-week structured onboarding mentorship on novice nursing faculty's job satisfaction and feelings of competence. Novice faculty were paired with a mentor and completed weekly meetings and an online on-boarding curriculum based on National League for Nursing Nurse Educator Core Competencies. A pretest-posttest design assessed feelings of competence and job satisfaction before and after the 8-week intervention. Results: Findings indicated increased feelings of competence and no change in job satisfaction. Conclusion: Outcomes demonstrate how mentorship and structured orientation can positively benefit novice faculty's experiences and competence during their transition into academia. [ J Nurs Educ . 2024;63(6):405–408.]