Facilitated engagement approach: A novel approach to guide mentor conversations.

BACKGROUND: Mentorship has been recognized as a strategy to develop leadership competencies in clinical leaders and has been integrated into leadership programs. However, there are few published frameworks to guide mentor conversations with mentees training to assume nursing leadership roles.

OBJECTIVE: This study explores mentors' perceptions of 6-month mentorship, a component of the Strengths-Based Nursing Leadership program, the effectiveness of the Facilitated Engagement Approach, a pedagogical strategy developed to facilitate conversation between the mentor and mentee, and the impact of mentorship on leadership practice of mentees.

METHODS: A mixed method qualitative and quantitative approach was used with semi-structured interviews and bi-weekly survey among mentors. Data were thematically analyzed.

RESULTS: Mentors described the use of the Facilitated Engagement Approach to guide their mentorship conversations and found it to be effective in mentoring program participants. Mentors described techniques used and the process of deepening a reflective mentorship conversation. The Spiraling Process (58 %) and the Story Sharing Process (74 %) were integral aspects of the Facilitated Engagement Approach used. Mentorship was found to be impactful in that mentors reported a change in their mentee.

CONCLUSIONS: The Facilitated Engagement Approach was an effective tool for mentees and mentors to develop leadership capacities.