THE PERCEIVED ROLE OF MENTORING IN THE CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND SUCCESS OF ACADEMIC NURSE ADMINISTRATORS.
Contributors: University of Pittsburgh.
Published: 1986
Number of pages: 190
Subjects: Education, Administration.
Description: The purpose of this study was to survey academic nurse administrators to determine their perceptions of the role of mentoring in career development and success. The sample for the study consisted of the 419 female academic nurse administrators who are the chief academic officers in the 423 baccalaureate schools of nursing in the United States which are fully accredited by the National League for Nursing.

The research was conducted as a descriptive study utilizing a self-administered questionnaire as the instrument for data collection. The questionnaire was developed to gather both quantitative and qualitative data and consisted of a 12-page booklet containing 34 questions composed primarily of closed and fixed alternative items. At the end of the data collection phase, the return rate was 300 or 72%.

Results indicated that the majority of academic nurse administrators reported having either primary and/or secondary career mentors or significant individuals in their lives who were considered important to both their career development and success. All but 29 individuals reported one or more career helpers. A specific profile of the actual mentoring experience and the mentor-protege relationship with the most significant mentor was described, and indicated that mentoring was initiated mutually or by the mentor; similar personalities were not necessarily critical to the relationship; and that the relationship was generally considered satisfactory, usually ending on a friendly basis. The majority of the beneficial mentor behaviors presented in the survey were carried out on a frequent basis by mentors. Although it cannot be stated that all academic nurse administrators need a mentor to succeed in their careers, it was concluded that the majority of both mentored and nonmentored academic nurse administrators strongly support the concept of mentoring for both the career development and the career advancement of individuals seeking careers in this field.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-06, Section: A, page: 1974.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH, 1986.

School code: 0178.