Mentorship for Nursing in a Rural Area:  A Program for Success for Working with Diverse Populations

Karine Crow; Margaret M Conger; Ursula Knoki-Wilson

doi:10.14574/ojrnhc.v11i2.24

Vol. 11 No. 2 (2011)

Research Articles

Mentorship for Nursing in a Rural Area: A Program for Success for Working with Diverse Populations

Published 2011-09-22

Karine Crow
Margaret M Conger
Ursula Knoki-Wilson

Karine Crow
Northern Arizona University

Margaret M Conger
Northern Arizona University

Ursula Knoki-Wilson
Chinle Comprehensive Health Care Facility and Navajoland Nurses United for Research, Service and Education, Inc. (N-NURSE)

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Abstract

Rural areas often face severe nurse shortages that result in many challenges to health care agencies located there. Of particular concern is the need for preparing nurses from urban areas to the realities of rural practice. The Navajoland Nurses United for Research, Service, and Education, Inc. (N-NURSE) developed a culturally based mentorship program entitled the Navajo Nursing Pathway of Mentorship © 2004 to meet this need. The program is used to support nurses in their transition to rural practice. The newly hired nurses attend a workshop and can be assigned a mentor who serves as a cultural bridge builder to assist them with their transition to rural practice in a culturally diverse area.

Key Words: Rural/Frontier Nursing, Mentorship, Preceptorship, Culture, American Indian

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Author Biography

Karine Crow

Ph.D., RN, Associate Professor, Coordinator, American Indian Program. School of Nursing

Margaret M Conger

RN, MSN, Ed.D., Emeritus Professor, School of Nursing

Ursula Knoki-Wilson

BSN, MSN, MPH, RN Director, Nurse-Midwifery & Community Liaison, Office of CEO for Chinle Comprehensive Health Care Facility; Co-Founder and President of Navajoland Nurses United for Research, Service and Education, Inc. (N-NURSE)