Transitioning to practice: A nursing student peer mentoring leadership initiative

Vol. 1 No. 3

Year: 2011

Issue: Aug-Oct

Title: Transitioning to practice: A nursing student peer mentoring leadership initiative 

Author Name: Margaret Bagnardi 

Synopsis: 

The current changes and challenges for the future of our healthcare system necessitates a renewed look at what the Baccalaureate prepared Registered Nurse (RN) looks like for the 21st century. There is urgency as we face increasing healthcare costs, inconsistent utilization of services and a demand for better, less costly and better organized healthcare for the nation. Nurses need to be the leaders in all facets of care from the patient bedside to administrative settings, and these leadership traits need to be nurtured early on in Registered Nurses’ education.A national survey “Bridging the Preparation Gap” (The Advisory Board Company, 2008) indicated that new graduate nurses scored the lowest in the areas of delegation of tasks, ability to anticipate risk, ability to prioritize, conflict resolution, and ability to keep track of multiple responsibilities. Fostering these leadership skills can be accomplished by introducing concepts early in the students’ nursing education, empowering them to perceive themselves as future leaders, and defining and creating a safe environment for them to practice those skills.