Mentorship in the Japanese Nursing Education Community

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of mentorship in the Japanese nursing education community. Methods: The participants of this study were sophomore and graduate students and faculty members from a nursing school at a Japanese university. The study was described to each of the subjects and potential participants had the choice to participate in the study. This descriptive study utilized a self-administered questionnaire that included questions about years of nursing experience, educational level, their relationship with mentors, characteristics of mentors, and mentoring behaviors. Fifty-eight of 115 sophomores (Group 1), all 28 graduate students (Group 2), and 17 of 21 faculty members completed the questionnaire (Group 3). Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to investigate if differences existed among the groups. Data were collected from 2001 to 2002. Results: The mentors' characteristics which were 1) supportive, 2) provide vision, and 3) objective/clear-thinker were similar for the three groups. Group 1 and Group 2 received a significantly higher percentage of support for personal problems and offered more quotable quotes from their mentors compared with Group 3. Group 2 received the greatest amount of mentoring support from their mentors among the three groups. Conclusions: Findings from the study suggest that the characteristics of mentors in the Japanese nursing education community may be described as supportive, visionary, and objective/clear-thinkers. The combination of situation and position appears to influence the participants' identification of characteristics of their mentors, the type of behaviors they look for in a mentor, and if they view themselves as a mentor.

Keywords

• education
• faculty
• mentors
• nursing
• students