A mentoring programme to meet newly graduated nurses’ needs and give senior nurses a new career opportunity: A multiple-case study

Abstract

The mentoring programme appeared to be a promising way to smooth the transition for newly graduated nurses. The experienced supervising nurses were key to the success of this complex programme, supporting the new nurses at the bedside and being available to respond to their questions and reflections. Embedding the supervisors in the units' daily practice was necessary to the success of the different parts of the programme. Despite the strategic and well-designed implementation of this mentoring programme aimed to solve the everyday challenge of nurse shortages in the hospital, it was a challenge to implement it fully in all the units studied.