Relationships among planned mentoring programs, job satisfaction, and intent to stay in nurse faculty mentees.

Abstract

Purposes of this study were to describe the personal and career characteristics of nurse faculty mentees in planned mentoring programs; examine level of mentoring, career function, and psychosocial function as predictors of job satisfaction; examine level of mentoring and job satisfaction as predictors of intent to stay; examine the effect of demographic characteristics on level of mentoring, job satisfaction, and intent to stay; and explore relationships among facets of job satisfaction, level of mentoring, and intent to stay. Instruments utilized included demographic information, Noe's Mentoring Scale, Job Descriptive Index and Job in General, and Intent to Stay Scale. Subjects consisted of 51 nurse faculty from 31 National League for Nursing accredited baccalaureate and higher degree schools of nursing who participated in planned mentoring programs at their institutions. Analysis techniques included descriptive statistics, t tests, Pearson product moment correlations, and regression.Level of mentoring, psychosocial function, and career function had a moderate correlation with job satisfaction, but none predicted job satisfaction. Level of mentoring had positive correlations with number of hours the mentoring pair spent with each other. Having input into pairing of mentor/mentee increased mentees' levels of mentoring. The facet of job satisfaction with the strongest correlation to level of mentoring was 'work itself'.Mentees were satisfied with their jobs in general. Marital status, years of nursing education experience, institutional size, and institutional location did not affect job satisfaction. Mentees were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with pay, but this did not affect their overall job satisfaction. Mentees were most satisfied with 'work itself.'Level of mentoring did not predict intent to stay. Intent to stay was not affected by level of education, amount of time employed at the institution, and parental status. Job satisfaction predicted intent to stay. Moderate correlations were found between intent to stay and satisfaction with 'work itself,' supervision, pay, and opportunities for promotion. No correlation was found between intent to stay and satisfaction with co-workers.Implications and recommendations for education, research, and practice were generated. More planned mentoring programs are needed to encourage nurses to enter and remain in nursing education.