WHO/Europe mentorship toolkit for nurses
WHO’s mentorship toolkit is designed specifically for early-career nurses and their mentors. It includes the mentorship framework for nursing and 2 complementary courses, one for each audience.
It is the first mentorship toolkit of its kind to provide parallel courses for both mentors and early-career nurses, and the first to be rolled out at this scale across Europe. The courses were piloted in 9 European countries with mentors and mentees working in diverse health-care settings. Pilot participants reported high levels of engagement, and the piloting process also provided important insights regarding implementation, mentorship culture and organizational barriers affecting transition support for nurses.
The courses feature an introduction and 6 modules, with short videos, practical guides and reflective exercises. They are built around 4 pillars: support, reflection, development and belonging.
For mentors
Mentors play an important role in helping nurses develop and feel supported as they enter practice. This course helps mentors:
- create a supportive and psychologically safe learning environment
- give constructive feedback
- guide reflection (e.g. on their work and objectives) and professional development
- support increasing clinical autonomy
- help early-career nurses integrate into their teams.
For early-career nurses
Starting clinical practice can be challenging. This course helps early-career nurses:
- navigate the transition into practice
- reflect on their experiences
- build professional confidence and autonomy
- strengthen their sense of belonging within the team
- make the most of their relationship with a mentor.
Mentorship course for nurse mentors
Mentorship course for nurse mentors: introduction
Mentorship course for nurse mentors: module 1. foundations of mentoring practice
Mentorship course for nurse mentors: module 2. introduction to mentorship
Mentorship course for nurse mentors: module 3. preparing for role transition and onboarding
Mentorship course for nurse mentors: module 4. transitioning into the new role
Mentorship course for nurse mentors: module 5. ongoing communication and professional development
Mentorship course for nurse mentors: module 6. consolidation and readiness for independent practice
Mentorship course for early-career nurses
Mentorship course for early-career nurses: introduction
Mentorship course for early-career nurses: module 1. foundations of professional practice
Mentorship course for early-career nurses: module 2. introduction to mentorship
Mentorship course for early-career nurses: module 3. preparing for role transition and onboarding
Mentorship course for early-career nurses: module 4. transitioning into the new role
Mentorship course for early-career nurses: module 5. ongoing communication and professional development
Mentorship course for early-career nurses: module 6. consolidation and readiness for independent practice
Nursing Action project
The toolkit comes as part of the European Union-funded Nursing Action project, a multi-year programme supported by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG-SANTE). The courses respond to growing recognition across countries that mentorship is essential not only for workforce retention and well-being, but also for patient safety, professional confidence, transition support, mental health and well-being and sustainable workforce development.