References
Mentoring initiative to retain community-based registered nurses in palliative care
Abstract
Retaining registered nurses (RNs) in post during their first year of employment is a problem for the Marie Curie Home Nursing Service. This article describes an initiative undertaken by Marie Curie Northern Ireland's (NI) Regional Nursing Service's manager in conjunction with clinical management and RNs to develop a peer-mentoring programme that would support newly appointed RNs during their first 3 months and strengthen the possibility that they would remain in post. A scoping exercise of key stakeholders clarified that peer mentoring could address the sense of remoteness and isolation that newly appointed nurses expressed as lone workers. RNs taking on a peer-mentoring role received additional remuneration during the 3-month period. Through the initiative, the stakeholders recognised that the peer-mentoring programme should be simple, responsive to the needs of the newly appointed nurses and provide the necessary support and guidance when required.
Over the last two decades, much has been put in place by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) of the UK to support undergraduate and registered nurses (RNs). This includes clinical mentoring for nursing students; the recommendation of 3–6 months of preceptorship for newly qualified RNs in post, and ongoing clinical supervision to support registrants in clinical practice (NMC, 2019a; 2019b). These mechanisms are underpinned by the NMC's requirement for RNs to revalidate every 3 years (NMC, 2019c). Each of these support mechanisms serves a clear purpose in maintaining standards of care for patients, upholding professional standards and ensuring public confidence in the profession.
On entering employment, employers must play their part in supporting RN employees to comply with their professional requirements. They must also provide a comprehensive induction that makes clear the requirements of the organisation to support nursing employees (NMC, 2019a; 2019b).
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