The Perceived Role of Mentorship on the Transition of the Early Career Nurses in the Hospital Practice

Abstract

Introduction: Early career nurses frequently encounter anxiety, role ambiguity, and professional insecurity as they transition into hospital practice, particularly when structured mentorship is lacking. These challenges may reduce confidence and job satisfaction, contributing to burnout and turnover, which further intensify the ongoing nursing workforce shortage. Mentorship has been identified as a key support mechanism, yet evidence from private hospital settings in the Philippines remains limited. Aim: This study examined the perceived role of mentorship in facilitating the hospital transition of early career nurses. Methods: A quantitative descriptive, correlational, and comparative research design was utilized. Total enumeration sampling was applied, involving 106 early career nurses from two private hospitals in Angeles City, Pampanga. Data were collected from January to March 2024 using an adapted mentorship questionnaire from Doctolero (2023) and the Casey-Fink Graduate Nurse Experience Survey (Revised, 2006), both with established reliability. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation were used for data analysis. Results: Mentorship was practiced to a very great extent across both career and psychosocial domains. Transition outcomes were rated as highly successful, with organizational adjustment slightly higher than situational adaptation. Significant differences in mentorship and transition experiences were identified based on clinical area and length of experience, while no differences were noted by sex. Strong positive correlations were found between the extent of mentorship and transition outcomes, indicating that greater mentorship support is associated with smoother professional adjustment. Conclusion: Mentorship plays a crucial role in strengthening confidence, competence, and adaptability among early career nurses. Based on the findings, the STRONG (Supporting Transition, Resilience, Orientation, Nurturing Growth) Start Mentoring Program was developed to promote structured mentorship and enhance the transition of novice nurses into hospital practice.