By Anne Federwisch
November 10, 1997

Since September, Diane Navarre, MSN, RN, CCRN, has been mentoring Laura Peck, a student nurse from New York. They've discussed clinical experiences, exams, even nursing in general. Yet Navarre, a nursing instructor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a staff nurse at Latrobe Area Hospital in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, wouldn't recognize Peck if she were standing next to her. All their correspondence has been via e-mail.

Navarre and Peck are part of the popular NursingNet online mentoring program, the brainchild of Linda Anderson, RN, and Mark Carraway, RN, (who, although they work closely together on the project, also have never met).

Since May, 1997, they've paired experienced nurses with students, new grads, or nurses changing specialties. Most participants correspond via e-mail, even though mentoring chat rooms are available at the NursingNet Web site. Carraway estimates over 600 people have signed up for the program.

Internet mentoring has been growing in popularity among health professionals. Smaller staffs, busier schedules, and increased workloads have taken their toll on teaching on the job. During her own schooling, Anderson found some nurses were very unapproachable and hated her constant questioning. Others, though, were very supportive, welcomed her questions, and gently guided her through new procedures. She wanted to ensure that more nurses would have the chance for a positive learning experience with a willing mentor.

The program hasn't been easy, though. "It's ended up being a bigger project than we anticipated," Anderson said. Her availability and the lack of sophistication of her current software limit the number of mentors and protégés she can pair. She plans on installing new software soon to improve her ability to manage the program and to tabulate statistics on it.

She and Carraway haven't formally evaluated the program yet. After it's been in place a year, Carraway wants to do a demographic study of the participants and perhaps a follow-up study on whether mentored students are more likely to stay in the profession. He said that they have received some feedback. "Some people have contacted us to say, 'This is what nursing is all about. Nurses helping nurses," he said.

Navarre loves the program. "Nursing is pretty fragmented sometimes. Online mentoring is a valuable way to get support from other nurses," she said. Peck said that she values Navarre's input.

When Peck discussed upcoming specialized assignments with her, Navarre made several suggestions of what to look for that Peck said improved her overall experience. "She brings another unique perspective that I wouldn't have otherwise," Peck said.

Though Peck definitely sees value in having an experienced nurse guide personally guide her through new procedures, she wouldn't give up her cyber-mentor. "She's a sounding board. Where I might be intimidated to talk to someone face-to-face, I feel comfortable talking to Diane online," she said.

Online mentoring is not unique to nursing. Since August, Joy Hammel, PhD, OTR, FAOTA, an assistant professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago, has been helping to develop several Internet mentoring projects for OT students. One online project links students with older citizens in the community. The seniors serve as experts on aging.

Another project links students specializing in assistive technology with expert mentors via the American Occupational Therapy Association's technology special interest section listserv.

Specialists in assistive technology help people maintain or improve their functional capabilities by matching them with appropriate equipment or products. Such equipment may be as simple as a reacher or as complex as a computerized environmental control system.

By posing their questions to a mailing list, students sometimes get multiple solutions to a problem. "They learn that there are different 'right' answers. The different insights lead to neat discussions," Hammel said. The other benefit of mentoring in cyberspace is the opportunity to converse with leading specialists in the field. "The students wouldn't have access to these experts outside the Internet," she said.

Hammel has run into some problems. Trouble-shooting hardware and software, and teaching students computer basics have some of the challenges she's faced.

Getting both students and mentors to understand their roles has also been a crucial component to the success of the endeavor. "Students need to realize that this [online] mentoring is just one way to problem solve," she said.

Mentors need to realize that being an expert is not the same as being a mentor. She said that while an expert might provide a definitive solution, "a mentor guides people along." Peck sees that guidance as an integral part of her nursing training. She hopes to meet her cyber-mentor face-to-face one day — perhaps at her graduation.

ANOTHER ARTICLE ON MENTORING
The Internet gives mentoring programs a boost

Tips for mentors
+Answer questions promptly. If you don't have time to respond to e-mail quickly, consider postponing your stint as a mentor.

+Set parameters on your role. If you prefer to avoid basic clinical questions (like "What are the steps for giving an injection?"), let your protégé know.

+Give constructive feedback. Your role is to guide, not to chastise.

+Learn from your protégé. Mentoring can be a two-way learning opportunity.

Tips for protégés
+Ask questions. Dive in and take advantage of your mentor's expertise.

+Focus on your career. Your mentor is available to guide you in your professional life, not your personal life.

+Learn netiquette. Even if you're new to the 'net, you need to know the ins and outs of communicating via e-mail so you don't inadvertently offend someone.

+Query again if needed. Sometimes it's more difficult to understand written responses than spoken responses.