When the
Student
Becomes the
Teacher…
Starting a Mentorship Program in Your
Local Chapter
Developed By: NSNA Breakthrough to Nursing Committee
2012-2013
A mentorship program is one of the most valuable tools in nursing school when it
is used correctly. It is very simple to just start a mentorship program, however, a
SUCCESSFUL mentorship program takes a little more effort. Hopefully, the tools
used in this guide will help you to reach your goal. Do not feel that you have to
follow this guide step-by-step, because that is all it is—a guide. Different ideas,
innovations, and concepts work differently in various areas. Only you know your
school best, so modify it in a way that fits best for the students at your school if
need be.
The challenge many school chapters have in developing a mentorship program,
is trying to get people involved to become mentors. It is usually not to difficult to
find those that want to be mentees, however, there are incentives you can
address to both groups in order to increase involvement.
Mentor Incentives:
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Give volunteer hours
o Some schools make it necessary to have a certain amount of hours
in NSNA involvement to get a NSNA pin or cord during graduation,
therefore, the mentee can sign the mentor off during each session
for volunteer hours.
Express how beneficial it will be in preparing for exit exams and NCLEX
o When students enter their last semesters of school, they find
themselves forgetting many of the basics and blocks of information
learned throughout the semesters. However, if they are mentoring,
then the repetition of information will make it much easier to retain.
Offer a certificate of completion
o This can be a vital component of portfolios needed for job
placement.
Express how beneficial it can be to their resume
o Employers look for leaders and those who did more than just have
“good grades” in college, this can be that special “boost” their
resume needs.
Emphasize how this is something they may get volunteer hours for while
helping someone at the same time around their own schedule.
Mentee Incentives:
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Ease the transition from pre-nursing to nursing school or semester-tosemester.
Get questions answered from students that “have already been there”.
Get helpful tips on how to survive and succeed through nursing school.
Become a mentee in order to know how to become an awesome future
mentor.
Additional help in subjects that they may have problems in.
First off, if your school has a pre-nursing chapter, I encourage you to involve
them. We have all been through the confusion, panic, and the feeling of “being
lost” when applying to nursing school. Let’s help others in pre-nursing so they’re
not faced with the same dilemma. On that note, let’s begin with starting a prenursing mentorship program.
PRE-NURSING SCHOOL TO NURSING SCHOOL
Mentors: Those who are in semester 2 +(with a B average) who have signed a
commitment consent.
Mentees: Those in pre-nursing, who have applied and have signed a
commitment consent (to be explained).
 Some schools have pre-nursing Student Nurses’ Associations; therefore, it
is a lot easier to keep the mentorship program offer extended to just these
individuals instead of everyone who is currently just taking pre-nursing
courses (This is a suggestion for very large schools).
Notice that under mentors, a recommended guideline is for those in semester 2
and on only to be considered mentors. The rationale behind semester 1 nursing
students being excluded is because that is the semester upon where the
foundation for one’s nursing career is built. It is important that the foundation
building process be uninterrupted as much as possible.
Also, it will be a lot more difficult to stay in touch with pre-nursing students
because they have a completely different agenda than nursing students.
Therefore, if they are put through an application process, it will show which
students have the motivation and persistence to be successful in the program.
NURSING SCHOOL (SEMESTER TO SEMESTER)
Mentors (Must have made a B average or higher) who have signed a
commitment consent:
 Mentoring student in semester most recently completed
o Ex: Semester 5 student mentoring semester 4 student or semester
3 student mentoring semester 2 student
o The material tends to be “fresher” in students that have just
completed the semester, therefore, the mentor will more likely be
able to retain information and more efficiently assist their mentee.
 OR Semester 2+ mentoring students from semesters which they already
completed
o Ex: Semester 5 student mentoring semester 2 student
o This method allows more flexibility when assigning mentors to
mentees
Mentees: Any student from any semester (except if in their last semester) who
have applied and have signed a commitment consent.
COMMITMENT CONSENTS:
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It is very easy for students to get lost in the chaos and stress that comes
along with school. However, if a mentorship program is to be successful,
then there has to be a commitment from the mentor and the mentee to
stay in touch throughout the semester. The frequency and locations
should be mutually determined between the two and both should
compromise and be flexible.
You can find an example of commitment consent at the end of this packet.
Tailor it as necessary to fit your school’s program.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
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Have mentees and mentors both fill out at application form (examples can
be found at the end of this guide).
Pair mentors and mentees in regards to strength and weaknesses
HOW TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL MENTOR AND MENTEE
RELATIONSHIP:
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Work together on a schedule that works for the both of you. Meet at
places where you are guaranteed to get work done in the allotted time you
two have established.
Have a focus for each study session and stick to it!
o If needed you can even breakdown your session. For example: For
thirty minutes we’ll work on drug calculations, and then move onto
Pathophysiology.
Keep the lines of communication open between one another.
The mentor should set the pace of each session and make sure that not
too much time is spent on things that are not priority.
The mentor-mentee relationship doesn’t have to be confined to sessions
with one another; having lunch or coffee together can really help with
bonding in order to more fully understand one another during sessions
(and discover each other’s strengths and weaknesses).
If either the mentor or the mentee does not believe that the other is
fulfilling their position adequately, they may report it to the appropriate
committee to find replacements. Please do not take it personally if the
other party wants to “break it off”, some people just work better with other
individuals.
o If a mentor-mentee relationship doesn’t seem like it’s “working out”,
it’s okay to find another one since these relationships are usually
not successful.
Mentor: Think of creative ways to keep your mentee motivated. For
example, buy them coffee of lunch if they get an “A” on their next test.
o Be a leader, motivator, and encourager.
o Have a game plan (goal) for each study session and let your
mentee know ahead of time so that they can prepare.
o If your mentee doesn’t do so well on a quiz or test, find out what
areas they are having the most trouble in (Ex. test taking skills,
subject matter, test anxiety) and focus on that.
Mentee: Think of creative ways to keep yourself motivated.
o Share your goals with your mentee and expect them to push you to
reach them.
o If your mentor has given you a game plan (goal) for the next study
session, be prepared.
o Share the reason why you want to be a nurse with your mentee,
this will help build a great mentorship relationship.
o Make a motivational calendar with the dates you’re supposed to
meet with your mentor and important quiz and test dates.
 During the times you don’t see your mentor, write down what
you have questions on the most. This way, you’re already
organized once you see them
We hope that this guide is beneficial in guiding your school’s chapter on
developing a mentorship program. Below you will find the resources previously
mentioned throughout this guide.
Below you will find examples of forms you may use for your mentorship program.
Please e-mail BTNDirector@nsna.org once you have started your mentorship
program and feel free to ask any questions, share your development, and to offer
any suggestions. Thank you for enriching student nurses’ futures!
MENTOR APPLICATION
Name:
Semester:
Phone:
E-mail:
Classes Currently Taking:
Semester willing tutor:
Best subjects (include grade received):
Subject
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Schedule of availability:
Sun
Mon
Time
Letter Grade
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
By signing this form I agree to stay committed to my mentee, maintain an
compromised schedule with my mentee, and to stay reasonably available. I
understand that I will serve as a role model for my mentee and therefore, abstain
from any dishonorable behavior (i.e. dishonesty, plagiarism, etc…).
Signature ______________________________________
For Office Use Only (to be filled out by officers):
Chosen Mentee Name:
Semester:
Phone:
E-mail:
MENTEE APPLICATION
Name:
Semester:
Phone:
E-mail:
Classes Currently Taking:
Subjects in need of tutoring:
Subject
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Schedule of availability:
Sun
Mon
Time
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
How do you think the mentorship program will benefit you?
By signing this form I agree to stay committed with my mentor, maintain a
compromised schedule with my mentor, and to stay reasonably available. I
understand that I will abstain from any dishonorable behavior (i.e. dishonesty,
plagiarism, etc…). I also agree to study to the best of my ability on my own and not
to solely depend on my mentor for success in nursing school. I agree to be proactive
and to take initiative in regards to my own studies and class work.
Signature ______________________________________
For Office Use Only (to be filled out by officers):
Chosen Mentor Name:
Semester:
Phone:
E-mail:
MENTORING TRACKING LOG
Date
Hour
s
Oct. 15th
2
Meeting Synopsis
Reviewed test taking strategies
Reviewed patho of respiratory
Mentor Notes
Mentee should work on reading through
all answer choices
Knows how to perform full resp.
Mentor
Signature
Grace
Mentee
Signatur
e
Bailey
2012
Example
disorders
Reviewed focused respiratory
assessment
assessment
Needs to review key respiratory
vocabulary