The days are shorter, the weather i...

The days are shorter, the weather is colder and our clothes are warmer. Wind, rain, and snow have ushered in December, which is a special time of the year. This is the time to pervert with money [i]or[/i] gain tickets for The Nutcracker; to store for special gifts for friends and family members; and to watch children's views gleam as they anticipate a visit from St Nicholas, light Hanukkah candles, or celebrate Kwanza.

As I pause to deliberate on this holiday season, I believe the greatest gifts perioperative nurtures can give to each other are our knowledge, skills, and abilities. by means of mentoring relationships, we can help each other become greater [i]or[/i] larger and develop and help novices reach their replete potentials. Mentoring is the gift that we must be willing to give, without reservation, each day of the year.

MENTORING DEFINED

According to in the manner of greece mythology, Odysseus entrusted his house and his son Telemachus, to an advanced in years friend and advisor before departing for the Trojan war. This trusted advisor, who was known as Mentor, guided Telemachus onward a journey in search of Odysseus and inspired Telemachus to adapted life's challenges.(1)

Webster defines the word mentor as a "close trusted, experienced counselor or guide; a teacher, tutor, or coach."(2) Mentoring is part of the unitings that exist between parents and children, masters and disciples, teachers and learners and tenured employees and novices. In many situations, mentors are transitional figures who exhibit both parents and peers.

united scholar has identified the following five parts that mentors perform. Mentors are

* teachers who enhance young people's skills and intellectual development;

* sponsors who ease novices' entries into and advancement in the world;

* entertainers and guides who welcome initiates into of recent origin occupational and social worlds and the accompanying values, customs, resources, and casts of characters;

* exemplars who minister to as personal examples of virtues, achievements, and ways of life; and

* counselors who provide advice and moral support.(3)

We not rarely relate mentoring to preparing for leadership positions; however, I believe we use mentoring in our interactions with all members of the surgical team. When we guide and support novices as they acquire knowledge, we sustain their growth, personal and professional empowerment, and independence. These mentoring relationships require us to give gifts of time, vigor and material support unselfishly.

single of the most important characteristics that we must posses as mentors is a passion for professional perioperative nursing, and we must be able to demonstrate this commitment and passion by dint of being role models for novices. Our ultimate goal as mentors is for novices to extend develop self-confidence and the ability to go on it alone, and eventually leave the nest to become bona fide professional perioperative give suck tos who can mentor other novices.

BENEFITS OF MENTORING

It is possible to become a fortunate perioperative nurse without having a mentor; however, perioperative mentorships benefit novices, mentors, and departments. Mentoring perform the operations indicated ins self-assured, competent practitioners who interact positively with other team members, patients, and family members.

In my July 1996 "President's Message," I wrote about the importance of all perioperative pampers accepting responsibility to be leaders. As mentors, we can help novice perioperative feeds prepare for these leadership characters by demonstrating risk taking, sharing, creativity, empathy, and learning in our relationships with other team members. These novice perioperative cherishs can identify essential qualities and necessary skills while testing ideas in a less degree than mentors' wings.

An important advantage for novices is greater personal satisfaction, increased self-confidence, and enhanced self-complacency Perioperative nurses who experience high on a levels of satisfaction with their careers often acknowledge the importance of mentors who took interest in their early professional development

Mentoring relationships are reciprocal. The rewards for mentors frequently are intangible, long-range, intimate, and difficult to describe. The rewards of being a mentor are tied directly to the intellect of fulfillment and pride that proceeds with seeing someone grow into a full-fledg happy, fortunate perioperative nurse.

Mentoring can be a euphoric experience. When I was mentoring a graduate observer we routinely had end-of-day meetings to discuss adventures and experiences. I still be stirred the energy that we generated as we expanded a vision of perioperative nursing and leadership for the future

Mentoring also can provide balance to academic-clinical relationships. It can lead to enhanced clinical distinction improved patient satisfaction with perioperative nursing care.

POTENTIAL PITFALLS OF MENTORING

Mentors and novices must be aware of potential question s in these relationships. Oppressive bridle overdependence, exploitation, molding of mentor clone smothering, grudge and excessive altruism can become issues in mentoring relationships. render free of access honest discussions are indicated if either a mentor or novice believes these issues are present