Summary of responsibilities

A Clinical Mentor is an experienced Registered Nurse (RN) with frontline experience who will be employed in a supernumerary position to provide mentorship, supporting newly graduated nurses, internationally educated nurses (IEN’s) and nurses looking to upskill to ensure a successful transition into practice. In addition, the Clinical Mentor will support the Clinical Extern program and participants.

The Clinical Mentor will be responsible for supporting applicable nurses (as above) on clinical units at the bedside. The Clinical Mentor will assist the nurse to develop the knowledge and skills necessary for practice within the clinical environment at CCH. The Clinical Mentor will act as a professional role model for the nurses and is responsible for maintaining positive relationships with the various teams to enhance the learning experience. During this mentoring relationship the Clinical Mentor will be scheduled above the staffing complement (supernumerary) to ensure a therapeutic and successful learning experience.

The Clinical Mentor will have highly developed communication and interpersonal skills, a strong work ethic and a commitment to research / evidence-based practice.

The Responsibilities and Activities of the Clinical Mentor role include the following :

• Taking a learner-centered approach, being patient and supportive of nurse learning;
• Works collaboratively with the nurse / extern to identify and develop learning goals specific to their needs, review expectations and required competencies in clinical areas;
• Actively facilitating learning opportunities that are relevant to the nurse and clinical unit learning objectives / competencies;
• Liaising and consulting regularly with the Clinical Nurse Educator and / or Manager to facilitate effective transition to independent practice and achievement of expected outcomes;
• Act as a coach and mentor for the nurse who will provide ongoing support ensuring continued professional growth and integration into CCH;
• Facilitates socialization of the nurse into the team and the culture of the unit;
• Promote a mentoring environment- empowering the nurse to ask questions;
• Assisting the nurse with their development of communication, problem solving, clinical and professional skills;
• Working alongside of the nurse as they demonstrate components of their practice;
• Responding positively to the immediate concerns and needs of the nurse and other team members if unforeseen problems arise;
• Providing regular feedback, both formative and summative to the nurse, Clinical Nurse Educator and / or Manager about the learner’s performance;
• Facilitate clinical skills hands-on experience and other professional development activities for learners at the bedside and on the unit.

Requirements of the job

Experience with the Clinical Extern program is considered an asset