You are a graduate nurse in search of a mentor. To find a good match, what should you look for? ...

B
When considering establishing a mentoring relationship, look for commonalities in nursing edu-cation, areas of expertise or practice, or interests. Feeling comfortable and building trust are cru-cial for a successful mentoring relationship. Broad, open-ended questions stimulate discussion and offer an opportunity to assess and establish the mentor relationship. It is important to discuss yourself and be open in a light and friendly manner when talking with a potential mentor. Being an experienced nurse would be an important criterion for a preceptor.

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A
Mentoring is a partnership and a two-way street with both parties freely contributing to the rela-tionship as equals working together, based on mutual respect. Mentoring is not used as a method to gain more experience. Mentoring is a dynamic, not a static, relationship. Gaining experience is often associated with precepting.

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A
When nurses are concerned that their patients require more care than they can provide, they must report this. If the nurse does not get adequate direction or an answer from the immediate super-visor, then the nurse should follow the chain of command and report it to the person above the supervisor. It would not be advisable or prudent to go home and abandon the patient assignment without adequate staffing or to work a double shift when the nurse has admitted being too tired. Loading up on caffeine may give the nurse immediate energy, but the fatigue may impair judg-ment and reasoning in patient care.

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B
Mentoring requires a primary focus on the needs of the mentee and an effort to fulfill the most critical of these needs. Meeting these needs first makes achievement of goals more realistic. Mentoring does not involve solving an individual's problems, helping someone reach long-term goals, or pairing an experienced person with a novice.