Mentoring and Networking: Two win wins

       Mentoring and Networking are two key tools of leadership that I think are under valued by my generation. Growing up around such readily available technology and information to me there seems to be a shift among young people towards self-reliance and independent thought. As we start to move into the job market some of these skills that may have come more naturally to generations before need to be developed. In nursing especially, with a large percent of nurses set to retire in the coming years, the wisdom of these nurses must be retained.
     How do we find a mentor or where do we start? The answer is to find someone with the a high level of expertise in your area of interest. It shouldn't be approached like a friendship or anything other than what it is, a critical need for the knowledge and expertise the mentor has. According to Huber "the closer the link between the employee's needs and the mentor's competencies, the more likely it is that the mentorship will be productive" (Huber, p.724, 2010). We can use this to think about how to initiate a mentorship upon entering the field. What are we struggling the most with and who is the best at it. Well we might have a hard time working with patient families. In this case we could seek out a family therapy specialist or a family oriented home care nurse. We could seek out someone on the unit we work on that deals with families in the exact same capacity only does it extremely well. As long as we line up our honest need with their expertise there is a good chance it will work out. We can remember that there is a good chance they didn't get to where they are by magic. Likely any potential mentor has those who helped them along the way and most are happy to give something back. It speaks to the value of their knowledge and expertise when people specifically seek it out and the relationship that develops can be a continued source of validation and reassurance for both.

     Networking is something that, until recently, I didn't understand how mutually beneficial it was. Just through articulating your passion and drive to work with a specific company or in a specific capacity before the position is created you set yourself apart form those just looking for a job. Employers know the value of having employees who aren't just seeking a paycheck and what a difference it makes to have passionate team members. As nursing students we have this passion and if we make it known through networking the likelihood that we will get where we want to go when it is available to us increases dramatically.
     One thing I recently learned in another class related to networking is to think big. With this in mind I just sought out Diane Huber, the author of our textbook on Linked In. I saw in the about the author section that she went to the University of Iowa. There is the connection and I have found how she could aid my passion. I have grown up a huge Iowa Hawkeyes fan and my father went there for Law School. I would love to pursue my DNP or Nurse Practitioner's degree there someday and I know what an outstanding nursing university it is. Imagine the commitment and passion she would know I have for that institution if I reached out to her probably at least a full 5 or 10 years before I am planning on attending. I also really value her work and know what a great assest she would be to me as a mentor if I am ever awarded a leadership position. Of course I couldn't find her on there, it doesn't always work out like you would wish.

     The same holds true in networking as it does in mentorship nobody got where they are alone. We all need referrals and there is a desire for assisting those that are as sincere to follow in your footsteps or join your institution. I want the best future students attending MSB and would assist anyone I felt deserving in entering our program. 

       Considering what we are bringing to the table in either mentoring or networking we can proceed with confidence and knowledge of the true win-win scenario that is Mentoring or Networking.



Huber, D. (2010). Leadership and Nursing Care Management. (4th ed). Saunders an Imprint of Elselvier Inc. Maryland Heights, MO