DescriptionPurpose:Racial and ethnic minority nurses often meet obstacles that hinder their advancement to leadership positions. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2021) report, The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity, stresses the importance of increasing racial and ethnic diversity in the nursing workforce as a strategy to achieve health equity and meet the needs of diverse populations across the lifespan. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to understand racial and ethnic minority nurses’ perception of the formal and informal mentoring experiences important to their wellbeing, career advancement and achievement of professional goals.
Methods: The conceptual framework that guided this project explicitly focused on using critical race theory to reframe mentor training. Appreciative Inquiry was used to develop a semi-structured questions used to interview nine racial/ethnic minority nurse leaders about their experiences and ideas about mentoring.
Results: The core elements of an optimal minority nurse mentorship program is supportive, culturally sensitive, inclusive, and has diverse mentors. The ideal mentor does not need to be of the same race but must be supportive, encouraging, and guiding. Nurse leaders found value in mentoring and helping other nurses. Minority nurse leaders have experienced bias and discrimination.
Implications: Improving the design of a mentorship program for racial/ ethnic minority nurses would be beneficial towards advancements within their career and their pursuit of positions in leadership. Nursing mentorship programs need to align themselves with anti-racism initiatives in nursing through promoting diversity, cultural sensitivity, and inclusivity.