Guidelines for Mentoring new staff
and work placement students.
March 2013
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What is a ‘mentor’
What is expected of a ‘mentor’
Qualities needed to be a ‘mentor’
What is the purpose of mentoring others?
What can and can’t a student do on work placement?
What support does a new employee need?
Adult learning principles?
Communication skills
Active listening
How to give constructive feedback to a student or a new trainee
Conflict resolution
Group scenarios of ‘what if…’ situations common to new employees
and students on placement and discussion of how to handle these
Ideas for helping new staff to fit in and want to stay in the
organisation
A Mentor is a staff member nominated by the
facility to provide guidance & support to a
new staff member or student.
Assessment Activity 1
Remember back to your first day in nursing.
Discuss your experience with the person next
to you. List 5 good things about your first day
and 5 bad things about your first day
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Provide educational support to meet learning
objectives & assist in relating theory to practice.
Create a positive, non-threatening learning
environment.
Encourage new staff member or student to
develop safe, organised processes.
Provide regular constructive feedback.
Identify learning opportunities & organise
accordingly.
Liaise with student’s facilitator.
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A person who inspires and serves as
a role model.
To support the professional growth
& development of the new employee
or student.
To encourage the new employee or
student to develop safe and correct
ways to perform tasks.
To be a resource person for the
student or new employee.
To develop trust confidence and
rapport
Director of
Nursing,
Facility
Educator
New Staff
or
Students
Mentors
TAFE
Facilitators
Unit
Managers
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Director of Nursing, Facility Educator and TAFE
Facilitator– ensure policies and procedures are in place to
provide adequate preparation and supervision of students.
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TAFE Facilitator- will visit the student during work
placement time
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Unit Managers – implement procedures ensuring
students are placed with suitable “buddy”.
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Buddy –
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Students –
provide guidance and supervision to student to
ensure safe work practices and appropriate care is being given
to residents in accordance with facility policies, procedures and
philosophies.
adhere to the facility’s goals, objectives, policies
and procedures. Co-operate in the spirit of mutual
understanding and respect with other members of the staff.
Think back to your first weeks at work…
What qualities did the person have who was a
‘good’ mentor?
What qualities did the person have who was a
‘bad’ mentor?
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Effective communicator.
Time management skills.
Organised, tidy worker.
Contented employee.
Respectful to ALL residents and other staff
members.
Familiar with all policies & procedures.
Sense of humour
Supportive listener
Effective questioner
Able to provide constructive feedback
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Present a positive attitude
Introduce new employee
or student to your
colleagues.
Take new employee or
student to meal breaks
with you.
Encourage them to ask
questions.
Encourage them to
challenge their
limitations.
Respond to non verbal
communication.
REMEMBER: New
employees or students
are like sponges and will
pick up on your attitudes.
You don’t get a second
chance to make good first
time impressions.
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Provide educational
support to meet
learning objectives &
assist in relating
theory to practice.
Create a positive,
non-threatening
learning environment.
Encourage new staff
member or student to
develop safe,
organised processes.
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Provide regular
constructive
feedback.
Identify learning
opportunities &
organise accordingly.
Liaise with the
Educator or Manager
or student’s
facilitator.
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Prior to work experience students
have had the opportunity to practice
all personal care skills in a simulated
environment.
Students are expected to be capable
of performing hygiene needs to the
residents, firstly under the guidance
of you the mentor.
Students should be encouraged &
expected to do all activities of daily
living as they learn them.
It is our hope students will willingly
participate in these activities with
enthusiasm and some skill.
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Personal Care.
Bed making.
Feeding a dependent resident.
Correct body positioning.
Resident transfer.
Use of mobility aids.
Hearing aid and spectacles care.
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Complete all work experience.
Be punctual and professional.
Attend handover & take notes.
Complete clinical competencies &
be assessed by TAFE facilitator.
Complete daily journal and
portfolio.
Ensure they have been assessed
in all required tasks.
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What do I do if person is
unsafe?
Do not leave student with a
resident alone, speak to
your Registered Nurse
immediately.
Who is responsible for the
resident when new staff
member/student are
providing care?
The Registered Nurse on
duty.
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What do I do if I have
concerns about the
persons performance?
Speak to Clinical
Facilitator (TAFE) & RN on
duty.
Are the students
insured?
Students are covered for
personal accident
insurance through TAFE.
* Use clear & appropriate language.
* Watch for non-verbal cues eg: facial
expression, body language.
* Never assume & be sensitive to individual
differences.
* Choose appropriate time & environment.
* Answer all questions to the best of your
knowledge.
BEHAVIOUR……When you……….….
 FEELINGS……….I feel………………..
 EFFECT………….Because……………
The 3 steps to an “Assertive Message” in
response to what you see as unacceptable or
exceptional behaviour.
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Report accurately & objectively.
Describe what actually happened.
Avoid character assassinations and
swearing.
Avoid absolutes such as “never”, “always”.
Concentrate on one behaviour at a time.
Ensure you assert about the “actual
issue/behaviour”& to the right person.
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Posture: maintain an open position with
arms & legs, stand directly in front.
Eye Contact: Look into their eyes with an
occasional glance away.
Facial Expression: To coincide with your
message, avoid smiling or nervous laughter.
Gestures: Be natural, avoid pointing and
fidgeting.
Voice: Remain calm and firm.
Lungs: Lots of air…. Breathe at steady rate.
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There are four primary skills vital for good
verbal communication & needed in the
processes of negotiation and mediation:
Listening.
Questioning.
Making “I” statements.
Giving and receiving feedback.
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Active listening:
◦ do not make judgements as they speak
◦ do not butt in with own story
◦ do not think of response and wander off with
thought processes.
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Reflective listening:
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paraphrase what is being said
check your interpretations with the speaker
ask questions
acknowledge their feelings
refrain from judging.
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Point out the positive aspects of the task
the task student has performed & you are
providing feedback on.
Be precise, clear and gentle in judgement.
Discuss issues about task student has been
unable to complete, giving suggestions on
how they could improve.
Finish on a positive note or comment.
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PREPARATION: Ensure you have dealt with your
emotions, and released any frustration.
Discuss in private.
DELIVER MESSAGE: concentrate on the behaviour
not the person.
STOP & LISTEN- Assess response.
REFLECTIVE LISTENING- Repeat message back to
them.
REQUEST BEHAVIOUR YOU WANT.
COMMUNICATE CONSEQUENCES.
1. Give information, not interpretation.
Describe what you see, hear or feel rather
than judging or giving opinion.
Consider the difference:
‘You looked away when I was speaking to you
then, and it seemed you were not listening’.
OR
‘You’re not paying attention to what I am
saying’.
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Why does conflict arise?
What influences my response to conflict?
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Constructive & destructive conflict. Factors
contributing to ongoing conflict.
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Conflict outcomes include: The win/win, win/lose,
lose/lose, lose/win
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What is your understanding of “The reasons
behind conflict?”
Being misunderstood
Angry people
Needs unmet
Unexpressed emotion
Regardless of the setting there are three
main causes of conflict.
 Mistakes and Accidents
 Misunderstood communication
 The impact of judgements made about
others.
In any conflict there are emotional factors
& the chance that some conflicts will not be
satisfactorily resolved.
DESTRUCTIVE CONFLICT usually produces:
 Anxiety
 Withdrawal
 Non-cooperaton
 Confusion
 Excessive conflict (public screaming matches,
physical violence)
 Enemies
 Resentment
 Physical illness
CONSTRUCTIVE CONFLICT produces positive
effects:
 Efficiency
 Openness
 Growth
 A sense of achievement
 Common purpose
 Strengthened relationships
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Determine the roles in a conflict:
One of the first difficulties when addressing a
conflict situation is in determining WHO are the
stakeholders?
PRIMARY Stakeholders are those who are involved
with the conflict & often the source.
SECONDARY Stakeholders are affected by the
conflict, and the outcome of the conflict, but not
the source.
In simple conflict situations the primary
stakeholders resolve the conflict.
In some situations the Secondary stakeholders may
become embroiled in conflicts of their own,
requiring a third party to address them.
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Two means of addressing conflict involve:
(1) Informal: Some times conflict is resolved
spontaneously, over a cup of coffee, talking
through issues.
(2) Formal: This may include arbitration
meetings with an agenda, support people to
run proceedings and an appointed mediator.
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Win-win
Creative response
Empathy
Assertiveness
Co-operative power
Managing emotions
Willingness to resolve
Mapping the conflict
Designing options
Negotiation
Mediation
Broadening perspectives
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Assist the person to identify and evaluate
options to achieve agreed goals
Share personal experiences and knowledge with
the person to assist in progress to meet agreed
goals
Encourage the person to make decisions and
take responsibility for courses of action or
solutions under consideration
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Provide supportive advice and assistance in a manner
that allows person to retain responsibility for
achievement of their own goals
Recognise and openly discuss changes in the mentoring
relationship
Make adjustments to the relationship to take account of
the needs of both mentor and person being mentored
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You have been buddied with a student who keeps disappearing off the floor
to have a smoke.
The student says to you ‘you should be using a lifter for that transfer’ That’s
what we were taught.
You hear the student being rude to the resident because they have been
incontinent.
The student keeps rushing ahead of you and is making mistakes in what
needs doing.
The student shows no initiative at all- they will do what you ask and then
just stand there.
The student is helping you with a bed bath and keeps talking to you over the
resident, ignoring their presence.
The new employee has their phone turned on and it keeps ringing.
The other staff members have decided the new employee is ‘hopeless’ and
make it clear to them how they feel.
The new employee is taking much too long with each resident as they are
sitting down having a chat with them.
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How much ‘mentoring’ do you think a new
staff member needs?
What systems are in place in your facility to
support new staff?
How do you think the process for
orientating new staff could be improved?
Would it help to meet with other ‘buddies’
occasionally to discuss experiences and
suggest improvement to systems?
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After the initial orientation period how long
should you support a new staff member?
Suggest ways you can provide ongoing
support to the new employee
Can you help to change the culture of your
facility if needed?
How would you change it to make new
employees fit in and become competent
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Write down what you think are the 3 most
important things you have learnt in this
workshop