Mentors for post-registration student

Mentoring is a method for supporting students in their learning. Few studies have addressed the mentoring needs of post-qualifying learners, and the purpose of this study was to explore the mentoring/facilitation experiences of post-registration general practice nurse students during the Bachelor of Arts Nursing Studies specialist practitioner programme at one university in Scotland. An exploratory case-study approach was adopted. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five students and two mentors, all of whom work in general practice. The main findings suggest that students and mentors have similar views of the roles undertaken by mentors, and that mentoring is valued during post-registration studies. The study identifies a concern for the protection of time for mentor and student to meet, for procedures to ensure that the process for liaison between the university, mentor and student is understood by all parties. It is recommended that, because the structure and process of mentoring for practice nurses is constantly evolving, mentoring requires continued evaluation and review. General practice nursing students value mentoring support during post-registration studies.