*ClinicCanada

AddSpecialR2Y 0X8755-7

Journal© 2010

WHAT ARE THE PROFESSIONAL

DEVELOPMENT AND MENTORSHIP

NEEDS OF ADVANCED

PRACTICE NURSES?

KATHY DOERKSEN, RN, MN, CNN(C)⁎

al Nu.ress coist, Ne2. E-m223/09

of ProElsevie

This study investigated the professional development and mentorship needs of an existing groupof advanced practice nurses. A prospective mixed-methods design included a survey followed byfocus 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 fivedomains of practice: direct comprehensive care, education, research, support of systems, andpublication and professional leadership. Fourteen advanced practice nurses participated,representing a variety of clinical areas in the clinical nurse specialist and nurse practitionerroles. Results demonstrate that advanced practice nurses identify various professionaldevelopment and mentorship needs in all aspects of their roles. Although research wasidentified as a need that develops over time, it was consistently regarded as a primary focus fordevelopment and required mentorship. Respondents offered specific examples and the positionsor 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 changeover time, and intellectual, administrative, and financial support. The advanced practice nurses'willingness to contribute to a mentorship program was explored. (Index words: Advancedpractice nurses; Clinical nurse specialists; Nurse practitioners; Mentorship; Professionaldevelopment) J Prof Nurs 26:141–151, 2010. © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

to be determined. This study takes the first step in

Significance of the Problem

ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSING roles are imple-mented with a variety of demands. Individuals in

these roles are expected to be leaders in the professionalpractice of nursing (Ackerman, Norsen, Martin, Wiedrich,& Kitzman, 1996). Nurses begin as novices and work tobecome expert advanced practice nurses (Ackerman et al.,1996). The professional development and mentorshipneeds of advanced practice nurses as they move fromnovice to expert nursing leaders have not been explored.

The relationship between improved professional devel-opment of advanced practice nurses and a positiveinfluence on nursing practice and patient care has yet

rses Specialist, Neurosurgery, Winnipeg, Manitoba,

rrespondence to Kathy Doerksen: Clinical Nursesurosurgery, 71 Inch Bay, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canadaail: skdoerksen@shaw.ca/$ - see front matter

fessional Nursing, Vol 26, No. 3 (May–June), 2010: pp 141–1r Inc. All rights reserved.

understanding these issues by evaluating what theprofessional development needs are for advanced practicenurses and explores mentorship as a possible method ofmeeting those needs.

Background and Literature ReviewAdvanced practice nursing roles have been increasinglyimplemented throughout the country (Brown, 1998;Dunn & Knicklin, 1995). Nurses assuming advancedpractice roles are expected to advance nursing throughdirect care, research, education, leadership, and variousscholarly activities such as mentorship (Ackerman,Norsen, Martin, Wiedrich, & Kitzman, 1996; Sidani,Irvine, & DiCenso, 2000).

A thorough review of the literature revealed littleinformation addressing either the professional develop-ment or mentorship needs of advanced practice nurses.Five articles, using concept analysis, reference the needfor advanced practice nurses to mentor staff nurses ornurse practitioner students but do not address the need of

51 141doi:10.1016/j.profnurs.2009.04.005

142 KATHY DOERKSEN

advanced practice nurses (Beal, Steven, & Quinn, 1996;Fawcett, 2002; Hayes, 1994; Pelletier & Duffield, 1994;Price, 1998). Two sources described mentorship and itsimportance to the advanced practice nurse role, againthrough review and analysis of existing literature (Busen& Engebretson, 1999; Hockenberry-Eaton & Kline,1995). Hockenberry-Eaton and Kline (1995) stated that,although nurse practitioners may be viewed as experts,they too require nurturing, learning, and support whenlearning the role. It is also stated that mentoring is used tohelp those who are less experienced in the role and maydevelop within an institution or in any setting where agroup of the advanced practice nurses meets. Busen andEngebretson (1999) explored the concept of mentoringand commented that advanced practice nurses may selecta mentor to assist in aspects of education, research,clinical practice, or professional activities.

Hupcey (1993) conducted a survey to identify factorsthat improve or impact negatively on nurse practitionerpractice. Twelve respondents stated that continuingeducation helped nurse practitioners in their roleperformance. More recently, research continues toemphasize role clarity and implementation (Cummings,Fraser, & Tarlier, 2003; Lindke, Canedey, & Kay, 1997).Van Soren and Micevski (2001) using a research-developed questionnaire identified lack of support andlack of understanding of the role of nurse practitioners asa major barrier to role implementation.

Purpose and Research QuestionThe research question is, “What are the professionaldevelopment and mentorship needs of advanced practicenurses in a tertiary care hospital?” A second purpose wasto investigate the potential benefit of mentorship inassisting the advanced practice nurses to meet theiridentified professional development needs.

Conceptual FrameworkThe Strong Model by Ackerman et al. (1996) provides theframework for this investigation. Figure 1 depicts thepatient being central to the model and consists of five

Figure 1.

domains of practice and three conceptual strands. Thismodel was adopted at the study site to guide the nursepractitioners and the clinical nurse specialists practice.One key defining feature of the model is that advancedpractice nurses function in each of the five domains ofpractice: direct comprehensive care, education, research,support of system, and publication and professionalleadership. The domains are quite self-explanatory bytitle except for support of systems, which describes howthe advanced practice nurse supports the system bydevelopment of standards, policies, procedures, orpractice guidelines to improve patient care. Scholarship,collaboration, and empowerment are the conceptualstrands that unify and influence each domain of practice.The model also identifies that individuals may come tothe role as expert clinicians; however, they will advancein the role as experience is gained in the domainsof practice. Ackerman, Norsen, Martin, Wiedrich, &Kitzman (1996) provided several examples of activitiesfor each of the domains of practice.

Study Design and MethodA prospective descriptive design with mixed methodswas conducted. Mixed methodology enables theresearcher to stage the methods of data collection,converge the information, and provide a complete picture(Begley, 1996; Creswell, Fetters, & Ivankova, 2004).Initially, a survey was completed followed by focus groupinterviews to obtain detailed information and varyingopinions (Morrison-Beady, Cote-Arsenault, & FischbeckFeinstein, 2001).

Setting and SampleThe participants represent a convenience sample ofadvanced practice nurses at the Health Sciences Centre,a tertiary care hospital in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

The advanced practice nurse role at the study site isdefined as a clinical nurse specialist or nurse practi-tioner. The sample of advanced practice nurses repre-sents roles in a variety of clinical areas from pediatrics togeriatrics and from acute care to palliative care,including both inpatient and outpatient settings. Indivi-duals functioning in these roles do so utilizing theStrong Model to guide their practice. The number ofnurses in these roles determined the sample size at thetime of the study. Ethical approval was obtained throughthe appropriate facility.

Data CollectionConsent was obtained over the telephone, and surveyswere distributed by mail. Surveys were coded, and theresults provided the template for the interview guidefor the focus groups (Cote-Arsenault & Morrison-Beedy, 1999).

Two focus groups were offered at a convenientlocation. The focus groups were recorded using fieldnotes including observed behaviors and nonverbal cuesthat may not be picked up by audiotape (Cote-Arsenault& Morrison-Beedy, 1999). The collated data from the

Table 1.

Samplesize

Years as aregistered

nurse

Years as anadvanced

practice nurse Age

14 23 (7–36) 5.5 (0.33–15.5) 44 (30–54)

Note. Values are presented as M (range).

Table 2.

Domain of practice

Demonstratedinterest in

further developing,number of

items/total items %

Direct comprehensive care 6/16 38Support of systems 5/9 56Research 6/6 100Education 4/6 67Publication andprofessional leadership

1/6 16

143PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND MENTORSHIP NEEDS OF APN

focus groups were analyzed for themes by the investiga-tors and the research assistant. Data were grouped underthemes done separately by the three individuals and thencompared. Participants received a small stipend.

Survey Development and TestingDemographic data included age, years in advancedpractice nurse position, years in nursing, and educationlevel. Data regarding the participants' area of work werenot obtained to protect the participants' anonymity. Thesurvey consisted of structured and semistructuredquestions, using the Strong Model as a template for thecontent (Appendix A). The five domains of practiceformulated the broad categories, and the questions weredeveloped from the specific examples provided in theinitial description of the Strong Model. The responseswere based on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (nointerest) to 5 (very interested). Participants were askedwhether having a mentor would be helpful in meetingprofessional development needs for each domain ofpractice. They were also asked to choose from a list ofpositions or roles which would be helpful in providingmentorship in the particular category. The positionsavailable to choose from were director of patient careservices, advanced practice nurses located outside myhospital, university faculty staff, advanced practice nurseslocated within my hospital, physician, and health servicesresearcher. Finally, in each of the domain of practice, therespondents were asked an open-ended question toidentify any methods (other than having a mentor) thatwould meet their professional development needs.

Content validity was determined by three advancedpractice nurses in hospitals separate from the researchsite and one faculty member, all in the province ofManitoba, and a health service researcher with a nursingchair in advanced practice nursing in Canada.

A pilot was used to determine test–retest reliabilityinvolving three advanced practice nurses located at otherhospitals on two separate occasions 2 weeks apart (DelGreco, Walop, & McCarthy 1987; Gomm, 2000). Duringthe pilot, one of the three participants was delayed inresponding to the second survey; therefore, those datawere not included. The other two respondents demon-strated an acceptable range of a 1-point change for 40 ofthe 43 questions (93%).

Decision-Maker InvolvementThe need to involve a decision maker in this study wasbased on the importance and ability to move the researchrecommendations forward. An initial meeting was held todetermine the level of involvement, the process for

involvement of the chief nursing officer, and thedissemination of the results. It was crucial to have thekey stakeholder involved at the beginning to determinethe research question's relevance and fit to the organiza-tion and at the end for formulation of the recommenda-tions (Ross, Lavis, Rodriguex, Woodside, & Denis, 2003).

DemographicsAll 14 eligible advanced practice nurses participated.Table 1 represents the demographic data of the participants.

Survey ResultsThe initial questions regarding the participants' need forfurther development were answered using a 5-point Likertscale. For the analysis of these questions, the Likert scalewas collapsed into three categories: 1–2 = no interest, 3 =moderate interest, and 4–5 = very interested. Several itemsfrom each of the five domains were found to be importantfor the respondent's professional development. However,the research category was the only category inwhich everysingle item was identified as very important for profes-sional development. Table 2 indicates how many items ineach domain of practice were found to be very importantfor the participant's professional development.

The next set of questions asked participants whetherhaving a mentor would be helpful in meeting professionaldevelopment needs in each of the domains of practice.Responses were graded as follows: 1–2 = strongly agree,3 = uncertain, and 4–5 = strongly disagree.

Table 3 demonstrates the responses, and once again,the research category was the only domain that had everyparticipant strongly agree that a mentor would be helpful.

The respondents were asked to choose from a list ofpositions or roles that would be helpful in providingmentorship for this category. Each position or role waschosen for at least one of the domains of practice. Themost frequently chosen role varied depending on thecategory. For example, in direct comprehensive care, aphysician role was indicated the most often, anduniversity faculty staff was chosen for mentoring in thecategory of research.

There were numerous responses from the participantswhen asked to identify any methods (other than having amentor) that would meet their professional developmentneeds. The responses varied depending on the domain of

Table 3.

Domain of practice

Number ofadvanced practice

nurses whostrongly agreethat mentorshipis helpful (n = 14)

Direct comprehensive care 10Support of systems 11Research 14Education 8Publication andprofessional leadership

10

144 KATHY DOERKSEN

Table 4.

Questions formulated for focus groups

How would you see a mentorship program working? What formwould it take?

How would you see your mentorship needs changing over timeWhat are your mentorship needs for conducting research?What systems supports are needed to implement a mentorshipprogram?

What specific supports are needed from potential mentors?What would you be willing to contribute to a mentorshipprogram?

practice; however, some of the suggestions were asfollows: self-directed, literature review, seminars, journalclub, courses, financial support, feedback from keypeople, broad perspective on health care delivery issues,small projects addressing clinical issues, be a mentor to agraduate student, have a mentor for guidance in research,educate nurses on the role of the advanced practice nurse,learn how to apply for grants, teach others, and observeadvanced practice nurses in their roles. Some of theeducational topics mentioned were evidenced-basedresearch, research development, leadership roles, effec-tive participation on committees, and use of technologyfor presentations.

Several responses provided information when theparticipants were asked to identify any other professionaldevelopment or mentorship needs they have. Theparticipants identified the following: Bridge the gapfrom education to practice, conduct research, expanduniversity program to include clinical nurse specialiststream, quality improvement, ethics, project manage-ment skills, roles and responsibilities of chairing acommittee, clinical leadership skills, closer partnershipwith university faculty, and having an advanced practicenurse mentor through the first year.

Focus GroupsFollowing the survey, two focus groups were conductedusing the results of the survey. The five questions thatarose from the survey results, which formulated the focusgroups, are in Table 4. The sixth and final question aroseduring both focus group discussions.

Thematic Analysis of Focus GroupsFormal Versus Informal Mentorship Needs

Two main themes emerged from the content analysisregarding what form of a mentorship program is needed.Mentorship needs were determined to be formal andinformal. Formal needs included individualized pro-grams with a needs assessment, matching nurse practi-tioner with nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialistwith clinical nurse specialist, having a buddy system,developing a welcoming package with a directory ofpotential mentors, listing areas of interests and strengths,

and having a directory with the university identifyingtheir areas of interest.

The informal needs stated by the participants were tooffer support through meetings or over coffee, recognizethe need for more than one mentor, and schedule theirown time with a mentor.

Mentorship Needs Change Over TimeThe respondents supported the reality of mentorshipneeds changing over time. The participants stated thatinitially they would need to focus on the day-to-dayfunctions of the role. They also commented that at firsttheir focus would be on clinical activities and later wouldemphasize the research component. The mentor wouldassist in broadening their perspective and foster growthin the role. It was also identified that annual retreats helpto address the changes in needs over time.

Supports Required for MentorshipThe supports required for mentorship seem to fit into thebroad categories of intellectual, administrative, and financial.

Intellectual SupportIntellectual support was identified particularly in thedomain of research. There is a concern with a lack ofconnection with appropriate mentors to assist theadvanced practice nurse in developing research projects.Participants stated that a directory of the university staffwould be beneficial to allow the advanced practice nursesto match the faculty's knowledge and preferred researchstyle with their own interests. When asked further aboutthe mentorship with the university faculty staff, it wasnoted that a formal link for research and publicationwould be beneficial. There was a link identified whichalready exists between a regional advanced practice nursegroup and the university; however, participants empha-sized that an improved direct link between the practicingadvanced practice nurses and the staff at the universityneeds to occur.

There was expressed hope that a mentor may becomeavailable on-site for nursing research, which was beingconsidered at the center. The intellectual support fromhaving a nurse researcher on-site provided hope for thosepresent in the focus groups.

Physicians were identified as key mentors particularlyfor the nurse practitioners in the study. It was thought that

?

145PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND MENTORSHIP NEEDS OF APN

physicians would help to identify gaps in clinical knowl-edge and would become more familiar with the nursepractitioner role. It was believed that this would facilitatebuilding a trusting relationship between the physician andnurse practitioner. It was thought that physicians could bementors for research, with a special note that this wouldnot replace the emphasis of nursing research.

Administrative SupportAdministrative support became a thread throughout thediscussions on mentorship. Protected time for mentor-ship, research, education, and professional developmentwas deemed necessary. It was suggested that theprotected time was important enough that it should bewritten into the job description.

There were mixed opinions regarding the role ofdirectors or nursing leaders as mentors for advancedpractice nurses. Some felt the need to have their directorsunderstand the role, however, at the same time allowingfor independence in their practice. It was suggested thatdirectors should support existing and the creation of newadvanced nursing practice roles, facilitate connections toother resources, and support monetary demands.

Financial SupportAlong with the intellectual and administrative support,financial support was identified as being key to meetingprofessional development and mentorship needs. Parti-cipants commented that funding is essential for researchgrants, educational opportunities, and the ability toprotect time of the advanced practice nurses to pursuethese endeavors.

Willingness to Contribute to a Mentorship ProgramThe participants provided several suggestions whenasked what they were willing to contribute towardmentorship. First, they stated that informal mentorshipalready occurs; however, there is a need for a more formalprogram and a process to buddy new advanced practicenurses. The participants noted that readiness to mentorothers and to be mentored should be based on a formalself-assessment. The need to be mentored may be moreintense as they begin their role; however, the need neverends. It was also identified that the current advancedpractice nurse committee meeting times should beincreased to allow for more mentorship when the nursesin this particular group are together. The participantscommented that they are currently providing and willingto provide mentorship to students at the universitywithin their clinical specialty.

When asked about the ability to provide mentorshipoutside the center of employment, the participants werewilling to do this; however, they expressed concernregarding current workloads to accomplish this. Theycommented that their mandate as a group is as a formalcommittee with institutional goals and demands thatrequire prioritization. The participants suggested that adirectory of advanced practice nurses within the citywould raise awareness of others in the role and what their

clinical area of practices are and would provide a link forpotential mentorship. It was thought that visitingadvanced practice nurses in other hospitals or provinceswould be beneficial to see varieties in the roles. With anincrease in advanced practice nurse positions, it wascommented that a satellite group of nurses in these rolesin similar clinical areas but different facilities would bebeneficial for mentorship.

LimitationsThis study does have the limitations of a small samplesize and a one-site setting of the participants. However,the results are strengthened by the mixed-methodapproach and the variability of the clinical settings inwhich each of the participants work.

DiscussionThe literature tends to focus more on how advancedpractice nurses can mentor other nurses (Ackerman,Norsen, Martin, Wiedrich, & Kitzman, 1996; Sidani,2000); however, these results demonstrate that advancedpractice nurses recognize the need for mentorship andprofessional development in each of the domains ofpractice. Hockenberry-Eaton and Kline (1995) identifiedthat nurse practitioners will have learning needs,although they are considered to be in an advancednursing role, and this was supported by these results. Asmentioned previously, there is lack of evidence relating tothe clinical nurse specialist's role and mentorship needs.

Although the participants identified the need forfurther development in each domain of practice, it wasthe domain of research that was important with allindicators for every participant and showed that havinga mentor would be beneficial. During the focus groups,research was identified as a professional developmentneed that increases over time, which correlates with thenovice to expert theme underlying the Strong Model.Research was the area where a lack of supports wasidentified. Specific suggestions for increased intellec-tual, administrative, and financial supports wereprovided to improve the advanced practice nurses'ability to conduct research.

Another theme that emerged from the focus groupswas the need for a mentorship program to be both formaland informal. Busen and Engebretson (1999) commentedthat the advanced practice nurses may wish to select amentor. The participants provided further insight thatboth a formal and informal approach to mentorship,based on individual needs, would be helpful to theadvanced practice nurses. It is also suggested thatadvanced practice nurses may require more than onementor to fulfill the professional development needs in allthe domains of practice, which is supported by Busen andEngebretson (1999). This insight is important particu-larly if the expectation is for the advanced practice nurseto function fully in the five domains of practice. Theparticipants commented that informal mentorship occursto some extent and identified several ideas how toformalize the mentorship of new nurses in these roles.

Cummings, G. G., Fraser, K., & Tarlier, D. (2003).Implementing advanced nurse practitioner roles in acute care:An evaluation of organizational change. Journal of NursingAdministration, 33, 39–45.

Del Greco, L., Walop, W., & McCarthy, R. H. (1987).Questionnaire development: 2 Validity and reliability. CanadianMedical Association Journal, 136, 699–700.

Dunn, K., & Knicklin, W. (1995). The status of advancednursing roles in Canadian teaching hospitals. Canadian Journalof Nursing Administration, Jan-Feb, 111–135.

Fawcett, D. L. (2002). Mentoring—what is it and how tomake it work. American Operating Room Journal, 75,950–954.

Gomm, R. (2000). Making sense of surveys. In R. Gomm &C. Davies (Eds.), Using evidence in health and social care.(pp. 26–45). UK: The Open University.

Hayes, E. (1994). Helping preceptors mentor the nextgeneration of NP's. Nurse Practitioner, 19, 62–66.

Hockenberry-Eaton, M., & Kline, N. E. (1995). Professionalinsights. Who is mentoring the NP? Journal of Pediatric HealthCare, 9, 74–75.

Hupcey, J. E. (1993). Factors and work settings that mayinfluence NP practice. Nursing Outlook, 41, 181–185.

Irvine, D., Sidani, S., Porter, H., O'Brien-Pallas, L.,Simpson, B., et al. (2000). Organizational factorsinfluencing nurse practitioners' role implementation inacute care settings. Canadian Journal of Nursing Leadership,13, 28–35.

Lindke, L. L., Canedey, B. H., & Kay, M. M. (1997). Acomparison of practice domains of clinical nurse specialists

146 KATHY DOERKSEN

Future DirectionsThe results have been presented to the participants and inseparate session to the chief nursing officer. There areplans to present the results to the partnering universityplus at the director level at the study site.

The focus groups sparked the interest of the advancedpractice nurses to develop an orientation manual for newindividuals in these roles. A working group from theadvanced practice committee has been established todevelop a template for mentorship based on these results.

The participants utilized the results of this study toassist in the development of the goals for the upcomingyear. The advanced practice nurses identified mentorshipas being crucial in the professional development ofresearch. The participants identified that administrativesupport would be crucial to fully enact the advancedpractice nursing role. This has been supported previouslyin the literature and requires enactment in practice(Cummings, Fraser, & Tarlier, 2003; Irvine et al., 2000).Concurrently, the center was considering a scholar-in-residence position, and the participants plan to explorewith the chief nursing officer the potential mentorshipthis role may provide for the advanced practice nurses.

A future study including multiple sites across Canada todetermine the mentorship and professional developmentneeds should be considered. It would also be relevant toinvestigate these needs and how they differ between theclinical nurse specialist and the nurse practitioner.

References

Ackerman, M. H., Norsen, L., Martin, B., Wiedrich, J., &Kitzman, H. (1996). Development of a model of advancedpractice. American Journal of Critical Care, 5, 68–73.

Beal, J. A., Steven, K., & Quinn, M. (1996). Neonatal nursepractitioner role satisfaction. Journal Perinatal Neonatal Nursing,11, 65–76.

Begley, C. (1996). Using triangulation in nursing research.Journal of Advanced Nursing, 24, 122–128.

Brown, S. J. (1998). A framework for advanced practicenursing. Journal of Professional Nursing, 14, 157–164.

Busen, N. H., & Engebretson, J. (1999). Mentoring inadvanced practice nursing: the use of metaphor in conceptexploration. Internet Journal of Advanced Nursing Practice, 1523-6064, 2.

Cote-Arsenault, D., & Morrison-Beedy, D. (1999). Practicaladvice for planning and conducting focus groups. NursingResearch, 48, 280–283.

Creswell, J. W., Fetters, M. D., & Ivankova, N. A. (2004).Designing a mixed methods study in primary care. Annals ofFamily Medicine, 2, 7–12.

and nurse practitioners. Journal of Professional Nursing, 13,281–287.

Morrison-Beady, D., Cote-Arsenault, D., & Fischbeck Fein-stein, N. (2001). Maximizing results with focus groups:Moderator and analysis issues. Applied Nursing Research, 14,48–53.

Pelletier, D., & Duffield, C. (1994). Is there enoughmentoring in nursing? Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing,11, 6–11.

Price, J. L. (1998). A reflective approach to career trajectoryin advanced practice nursing. Advanced Practice NursingQuarterly, 3, 35–39.

Ross, S., Lavis, J., Rodriguex, C., Woodside, J., & Denis, J. L.(2003). Partnership experiences: Involving decision-makers inthe research process. Journal of Health Services Research &Policy, 8, (Suppl 2), S226–S234.

Sidani, S., Irvine, D., & DiCenso, A. (2000). Implementationof the primary care nurse practitioner role in Ontario. CanadianJournal of Nursing Leadership, 13, 13–19.

Van Soren, M. H., & Micevski, V. (2001). Successindicators and barriers to acute nurse practitioner roleimplementation in four Ontario hospitals. AACN ClinicalIssues, 12, 424–437.

147PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND MENTORSHIP NEEDS OF APN

Appendix A. Survey

ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSES SURVEYPlease answer each of the following questions:

Please note that the information on this page will be coded and kept separate from the rest of the survey data.

1. How long have you been in an APN position in this Health Science Centre? _______years2. Have you been an APN in other institutions prior to this one?

□ No □ Yes, if yes, for how many years? _________3. How long have you been a registered nurse? _________years4. What is your age in years? _________years5. What is the highest level of education you have obtained ‘in nursing’ and if applicable, ‘in other than nursing’?

Direct Comprehensive CareFor each question, please indicate your level of interest in further developing your specific skill by checking (✓) one response for each question:

17. Having a mentor would be helpful in meeting my professional development needs for this category (DirectComprehensive Care). Please check (✓) one.

______________________________

___________________________________

148 KATHY DOERKSEN

.

l

18. If you have identified an interest in professional development in this area, please check off which positions/roles would be helpful inproviding mentorship to you for this category (check all that apply).

Director of Patient Care Services

APN located outside my hospital Physician University faculty staff APN located within my hospital Health services researcher Other (please specify) _____

19. Please identify any methods (other than having a mentor) that would meet your professional development needs in this categoryPlease be as specific as you wish.

Support of SystemsFor each question, please indicate your level of interest in further developing your specific skill by checking (✓) one response foreach question:

29. Having a mentor would be helpful in meeting my professional development needs for this category (Support of Systems). Pleasecheck (✓) one.

30. If you have identified an interest in professional development in this area, please check off which positions/roles would be helpfuin providing mentorship to you for this category (check all that apply).

Director of Patient Care Services

APN located outside my hospital Physician University faculty staff APN located within my hospital Health services researcher Other (please specify)

149PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND MENTORSHIP NEEDS OF APN

31. Please identify any methods (other than having a mentor) that would meet your professional development needs in this category.Please be as specific as you wish.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ResearchFor each question, please indicate your level of interest in further developing your specific skill by checking (✓) one response foreach question:

38. Having a mentor would be helpful in meeting my professional development needs for this category (Research). Please check(✓) one.

39. If you have identified an interest in professional development in this area, please check off which positions/roles would be helpfulin providing mentorship to you for this category (check all that apply).

_____

Director of Patient Care Services _________________________

APN located outside my hospital

Physician University faculty staff APN located within my hospital Health services researcher Other (please specify) _____

40. Please identify any methods (other than having a mentor) that would meet your professional development needs in this category.Please be as specific as you wish.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________

150 KATHY DOERKSEN

:

.

:

EducationFor each question, please indicate your level of interest in further developing your specific skill by checking (✓) one response for each question

47. Having a mentor would be helpful in meeting my professional development needs for this category (Education). Please check (✓) one.

48. If you have identified an interest in professional development in this area, please check off which positions/roles would be helpful in providingmentorship to you for this category (check all that apply).

Director of Patient Care Services

APN located outside my hospital Physician University faculty staff APN located within my hospital Health services researcher Other (please specify) _____

49. Please identify any methods (other than having a mentor) that would meet your professional development needs in this categoryPlease be as specific as you wish.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Publication and Professional LeadershipFor each question, please indicate your level of interest in further developing your specific skill by checking (✓) one response for each question

151PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND MENTORSHIP NEEDS OF APN

56. Having a mentor would be helpful in meeting my professional development needs for this category (Publication and Professional Leadership).Please check (✓) one.

57. If you have identified an interest in professional development in this area, please check off which positions/roles would be helpful in providingmentorship to you for this category (check all that apply).

_____

Director of Patient Care Services _________________________

APN located outside my hospital

Physician University faculty staff APN located within my hospital Health services researcher Other (please specify) _____

58. Please identify any methods (other than having a mentor) that would meet your professional development needs in this category.Please be as specific as you wish.

59. Please identify any additional professional development and mentorship needs that you have.

Thank-you very much for taking the time to complete this survey!