Celebrating the art of mentoring by sharing the gift of knowledge

Article Outline

• Stopping the Loss of Knowledge
• Embracing Diversity
• Working Together
• Learning From Our Mistakes
• Being a Good Mentor
• Keeping an Eye on the Future
• Copyright

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• William J. Duffy, RN

Mentoring is about the circle of life and the passing on of knowledge. It is as old as humankind. For millennia, generations have passed on knowledge to succeeding generations. There is no greater gift than sharing your skills or knowledge to help another person succeed.

Mentoring is not a one-way street, however. It is not always a senior generation teaching a newer generation; it really is each generation teaching members of other generations. Having multiple generations in the workforce may complicate the mentoring process, but it also provides a wonderful opportunity for us to learn from several perspectives at once. During this holiday season, it is important to pause and celebrate one of our greatest abilities—the ability to share the gift of knowledge.

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Stopping the Loss of Knowledge 

Statistics indicate that during the next decade, thousands of perioperatiye nurses will leave the profession. They have done their duty, and they are looking forward to a well-deserved retirement. These colleagues possess such a wealth of knowledge that it would be a shame to lose it; however, this potential for loss is on our horizon.

Additionally, we have thousands of nurses in leadership roles who are blessed with clinical and administrative knowledge. They know the ins and out of staffing, budgeting, capital equipment prioritizing, employee assistance and development, and schedule coordination. The next generation of nurses and nurse leaders is entering a world of tight budgets, looming staff shortages, an aging population, and a sometimes fanatical drive for efficiency by hospital administrators. I hear from both groups, however, that the other is not interested in learning.

As Mr Miyagi said in the movie The Karate Kid, “there are no bad students, only bad teachers.” I believe that the only way to teach is also to learn. To do that, we have to be open to hearing the wisdom of our mentors; however, mentors also have to listen to the needs of their students and shape their style of teaching to help students learn.

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Embracing Diversity 

It is time for all generations to realize that we are all teachers, and we have the choice before us of being good teachers or bad teachers. To be good teachers, we have to be open to lifelong learning. This requires that we accept the diversity around us and try to find value in colleagues who may not see things the same way we do. If we can open our minds to the concept of value in everyone, we can become great teachers.

I see diversity in the members you elected to your Board of Directors. Each member of the Board brings his or her own experiences to the boardroom, and in essence, they all represent a segment of our profession. To be the best Board we can be, we have worked hard to make sure everyone feels comfortable sharing and hearing different perspectives. This philosophy has allowed the Board to address practice issues and create a member access proposal, the national time out initiative, several new specialty assemblies, and a new perioperative association in Panama in only a few months.

Conversely, I recently sat in on a meeting of a group that did not have open participation from its members and did not place equal value on opinions. I saw this group struggle as members talked of pulling out. One group built a coalition; the other built an empty shell and accomplished little. Good teachers see the difference and are confident that their ideas will be valued. They are not threatened by different ideas, which allows them to learn as they teach.

If being a good teacher means you also have to be a good student, it is safe to say that all generations have much to offer the others. Senior groups can pass along knowledge they have gained after years of practice that could help newer generations gain mastery of the perioperative environment. Newer groups can help senior groups realize their value as their time on center stage moves toward completion, so that when they leave, they feel they have left a piece of themselves behind. Both groups can nurse each other in the art of passage.

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Working Together 

The key to being a good teacher is to deliver your message in a way that can be heard. No one truly wants the answer given to him or her. People want to grow by looking at the information provided and then shaping it to fit their own style and methodology.

As the world around us continues to evolve, all generations must try to find ways to master the ever-changing climate of health care. They need advice, insight, and support, not answers or rules that say there is only one way to do something. Messages that say, “this worked for me the last time” or “would you like to see something a mentor taught me?” are examples of messages that allow recipients to stay open to hearing a new idea.

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Learning From Our Mistakes 

Another key element of mentoring is helping each generation deal with success and failure. A big part of teaching is learning to deal with situations that do not turn out the way we like. The sign of a good mentor—like a good parent—is to help the mentee deal with disappointment. This is not a time for “I told you so”; instead it is a time for “what do you think went wrong?” and “how can we learn from it?”

Sometimes a mentee has to make a mistake before he or she learns, and sometimes he or she will not learn and will fail in an endeavor. In those situations, we should focus on the human being and help him or her deal with the disappointment.

Mistakes will happen; we all have experienced them in our lives. We know the feeling of pain that comes with mistakes, and no one needs the added pain of listening to a Monday morning quarterback. Instead, they need a coach. You can help them by saying, “Don't worry. I made a similar mistake, and it will be okay if you learn from it and do not repeat it.” These individuals need someone to help them stay focused on the learning involved and not the error itself. This is important to all of us.

As a mentor, do not fret that you failed your mentee, remember that mentees are individuals who sometimes have to learn a lesson the hard way. If a mentee does not take your advice and then fails, try to reach out and help him or her cope by being a caring colleague. A time will come when the lessons you taught will be realized.

Likewise, members of newer generations can help their mentors deal with failure. Sometimes a mentor may not be able to provide the exact guidance or development a mentee requires. Receiving well-intended advice that does not help the situation should not cause a mentee to abandon a mentor. Mentors are human too; they may make mistakes, and mentees can help them with the same support the mentee would like to receive when he or she errs. Mentoring truly is a two-way street where each side can learn from the other.

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Being a Good Mentor 

I guess the important question is, “are you the mentor you should or could be?” That is a tough question to answer. Individuals do not really know the answer until they pause and look inside themselves. We all hope we are good mentors, but take a few moments to assess that part of your life.

Colleagues, I encourage each of you—young or old, experienced or novice—to take a nurse under your wing and pass the gift of perioperative nursing to him or her. Do not lecture. Teach. Do not sit back and let someone fail. Give advice, and then step aside to let him or her practice. Do not scold or ridicule if an individual makes a mistake. Be honest and let him or her know you made the same mistake. In short, be a hero.

I have so many examples of heroes in my life that I cannot possibly name them all. One of my heroes is Kathleen B. Gaberson, RN, PhD, CNOR. Dr Gaberson is a professor and chair of the department of nursing education at a college in West Virginia. Though long removed from the clinical role, Dr Gaberson mentors perioperative nurses. Each year she brings a nursing student to Congress. She does not seek or want recognition. She does it because it is the right thing to do.

I also want to acknowledge some of my other heroes, my colleagues at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, Evanston, Ill, who allow me to mentor them. Each day, they teach me something new about being a good leader, mentor, and nurse. We have our difficulties, but I would not trade the experience for the world. It is a pleasure to serve with you.

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Keeping an Eye on the Future 

Look around. Do you see a great mentor in your OR? Can you help him or her, or can you become a mentor? Yes, you can! It is a simple choice. I know times are difficult and the world moves very fast as you balance your family life, your personal interests, and your need to grow in your profession.

I understand how hard it is, but even sharing a fraction of your knowledge is a gift of value. Each of us has the opportunity to be a mentor. Celebrate that gift, and happy holidays to all.