Development of a mentorship program for freshman nursing students enrolled in a diploma-level curriculum.

: The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a mentorship program for freshman nursing students enrolled in a diploma program. This phenomenological research study utilized several processes in data analysis and interpretation: (a) a comprehensive literature search, (b) development of a mentorship model using a 7-step process for data gathering and interpretation, (c) development of an education module for mentors, (c) the use of an existing validated survey, (d) development of 3 surveys, and (e) administration of the surveys. Results of the study indicated that the mentorship program should be part of the Mercy School of Nursing (MSON) curriculum as an elective rather than a requirement for all freshman nursing students. In addition, the effects of mentorships should be examined in terms of (a) retention rates, (b) productivity, (c) employee satisfaction, and (d) cost. Also, the mentorship program should be extended to the nursing staffs at other health care facilities that accommodate MSON students. Finally, future research of this topic should be more extensive and include a larger sample size to offset the effects of student attritions during their semesters.