What Are the Professional Development and Mentorship Needs of Advanced Practice Nurses?

This study investigated the professional development and mentorship needs of an existing group of advanced practice nurses. A prospective mixed-methods design included a survey followed by focus groups. The Strong Model (M. H. Ackerman, L. Norsen, B. Martin, J. Wiedrich, and H. Kitzman, 1996) recently provided a framework for the survey and discussions. It consists of five domains of practice: direct comprehensive care, education, research, support of systems, and publication and professional leadership. Fourteen advanced practice nurses participated, representing a variety of clinical areas in the clinical nurse specialist and nurse practitioner roles. Results demonstrate that advanced practice nurses identify various professional development and mentorship needs in all aspects of their roles. Although research was identified as a need that develops over time, it was consistently regarded as a primary focus for development and required mentorship. Respondents offered specific examples and the positions or roles that would be helpful in meeting their professional development and mentorship needs. Main themes that arose from the focus group were formal versus informal needs, needs change over time, and intellectual, administrative, and financial support. The advanced practice nurses' willingness to contribute to a mentorship program was explored.

Index words: Advanced practice nurses, Clinical nurse specialists, Nurse practitioners, Mentorship, Professional development