Building organizational capacity for effective mentorship of pre-registration nursing students during placement learning: Finnish and British mentors' conceptions.

Abstract

Health-care organizations have a key role in improving the quality of student mentorship in placements. This study presents the findings of Finnish and British mentors' conceptions of how to build organizational capacity for the provision of effective mentorship for pre-registration nursing students during placement learning. The data obtained from nine semistructured focus group interviews were analyzed using a phenomenographic approach. Three categories of description are presented. Organizations were mainly perceived as optimizers of investments in developing clear strategies for the provision of sufficient resources and professional support for mentors. The creation of a positive mentorship culture within a development-oriented, student-centred and goal-directive atmosphere was seen as essential. Furthermore, providing well-prepared placements for clinical practice of students was emerged as crucial, which included adequate working conditions and stakeholders as well as arrangements of learning opportunities. It is concluded that effective student mentorship requires health-care organizations to invest in financial and human resources in order to promote the quality of the placement learning environments. Such provision will enhance students' recruitment, retention and effectiveness, leading to safe practice and cost-benefits for health-care organizations in the longer term.