Mentoring

Mentoring....Traditionally, mentoring might have been described as the activities conducted by a person (the mentor) for another person (the mentee) in order to help that other person to do a job more effectively and/or to progress in their career. The mentor was probably someone who had "been there, done that" before. A mentor might use a variety of approaches, eg, coaching, training, discussion, counseling, etc.
One thing I have learned, is that to be an effective mentor, you have to have the same level of interest, commitment, and confidence in your own abilities as the person you are teaching. And, you truly have to be interested in seeing someone else grow in their abilities. It is hard work, but you get the satisfaction of seeing someone else grow and become successful in their endeavors, and that is satisfaction that you cannot put a price tag on.
Telephone triage nursing is a highly specialized field that too many nurses do not succeed in if they do not have a mentor to nurture them and see them through the learning process. And, really, you need someone who is not just a preceptor, but someone who truly fits the mentoring role.
When searching for that perfect mentor to teach you the ins and outs of Triage Nursing, look for the following qualities:
1. Experience- how can they teach you, if they have not "been there and done that"?
2. Character- your mentor should be a person that you respect and admire.
3. Similar Goals- it helps when your mentor has already gone through similar work that you have in front of you.
4. Availability- your mentor should be available for interaction.
5. Open-minded- your mentor should allow you to progress in ways you need to progress, not necessarily like them.
6. Caring- a mentor needs to care about your success as much as you do.
7. Positive- you need a mentor to be positive to keep you positive. If you spend enough time around them, it rubs off.
8. Focus- you need a mentor who is not only able to focus on you and what you would like to achieve, but also helps you focus.
9. Believes in you- a mentor believes in your potential. If they are not sold on you, they are not going to put all their efforts into your success.
10. Open and Honest- builds credibility and trust. It is beneficial when you both can share bits and pieces about yourself that others may not know.

This is only a guide in what to look for to get you through this learning process. You can add and subtract from these qualities when looking for someone to mold you into becoming a real "telephone triage nurse".