Formal & Informal Mentoring in Healthcare

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For informal mentoring relationships usually form after there has already been a palpable connection between both the mentor and the protégé. The mentor may identify some of their own personal characteristics in their protégés. Basically, both the mentor and the protégé decide and chose who they wish to engage to begin a mentoring relationship. This relationship may also last a lifetime or for a specified period of time. The defining point is that informal mentoring only happens if both parties voluntarily initiate and form a relationship that is comprised of amity first, knowledge second, and career third (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2014).

Whether the mentoring is formal or informal, it can only be successful if the experience was gratifying for the protégé, and the knowledge that any form of mentoring is better than the absence of it. If the mentoring program is an effective one, then the protégé can expect a more progressive career path and outlook. Good and effective mentoring can lead to good, strong, constructive results, while bad ineffective mentoring can be an experience and outcome that is both destructive and useless (Burckhardt, 2014).

It is obvious that mentoring programs are extremely vital to health care professionals that will assume leadership positions. Thoughtful planning, that affords particular attention to the paring process can be beneficial to both the mentors and their protégés and aid in the navigation to an effective and valuable mentoring experience. Both parties must be fully committed to the union and improved with adequate training and support. Ultimately producing a protégé that can assume the role and position as mentor to newer and less professionally experienced associates (Tourigny, 2015).

References

Burckhardt. (2014, November 20). Mentoring Programs Can Help Health Care Professionals Improve Competencies. Retrieved from http://www.patientadvocatetraining.com/2014/11/20/mentoring-programs-can-help-health-care-professionals-improve-competencies/

Hawkins, J. W., & Fontenot, H. B. (2012, April 26). Mentorship: The heart and soul of health care leadership | JHL. Retrieved from https://www.dovepress.com/mentorship-the-heart-and-soul-of-health-care-leadership-peer-reviewed-article-JHL

Tourigny, L., & Pulich, M. (2015, March 24). A Critical Examination of Formal and Informal Mentoring Among Nurses. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15825822

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2014, August 7). Informal Mentors: Why You Need Them (and how to get them). Retrieved from https://mycareeratva.va.gov/whatsnew/2014/08/07/informal-mentors-why-you-need-them-and-how-get-them