When people say, "no man is an island," they don't only mean that no man or woman should live alone. That much-used phrase also refers to the fact that men and women are perpetually learning creatures: they need the help of someone to guide them through life, and to help them make wise decisions. Moreover, as these same men and women grow older, they also have the chance to be a guide for someone who is younger and less experienced than they. This need for people to feel connected, loved, and taught by someone better than they are has given rise to different concepts such as mentoring.

Mentoring, or the process of mentorship, is really a growing, strengthening bond that occurs between a mentor, who is more experienced, not necessarily older, but who is certainly wiser; and his or her protégé, a mentee or someone who is less experienced and wise, and who therefore needs to be guided by the mentor. The concept of mentorship has long been known and tracked in history. In fact, it was Homer's Odyssey that first gave rise to the term "mentor" through its character called Mentor, who, despite the fact that he is presented as a somewhat debilitated old man, is actually used by Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, to guide Odysseus' son Telemachus through a difficult time in the young man's life.

The concept of mentorship also takes various forms in different cultures and periods of history. The Ancient Greeks had the concept of pederasty, in which teachers could hone young men to greatness. The Hindu and Buddhist religions have the concept of the guru, where a wise, religious man serves as the spiritual guide of someone who is misguided or who needs to know the Truth. In Judaism and Christianity, the concept of discipleship forms both history and current practice, as clergy or deeply spiritual people guide their respective flocks or followers. Lastly, in the medieval guilds, an economic system was built in order for apprentices to learn from guild masters and thus ensure the longevity of their respective crafts.

There are many famous mentor-protégé relationships in history. Take, for instance, the triplet of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, three great minds in philosophy who actually preceded each other. That is, Socrates was the mentor of Plato, and Plato was the mentor of Aristotle. Aristotle was even the mentor of Alexander the Great. The Christian faiths owe a good deal of their spread to the letters and preaching of St. Paul. In the music industry, the rapper Dr. Dre is mentor to younger rappers Eminem and Snoop Dogg. In the movie industry, the famous and late British actor Sir Laurence Olivier served as mentor for multi-awarded actor Sir Anthony Hopkins.

Even fiction has its own share of mentors and protégés. There are the Jedi knights of the famous Star Wars epics, where Qui-Gon Jinn mentors Obi-Wan Kenobi; when Qui-Gon Jinn dies, Obi-Wan Kenobi takes on Anakin Skywalker; Luke Skywalker, Anakin's son, is mentored by Yoda. The master-padawan relationship in the Star Wars series is actually akin to that of a mentor and protégé, not so much fighting or sparring partners.

In the employment arena, there are also mentoring programs to help employees do better. For instance, in new-hire mentorship, new employees are taken on by experienced persons in the company in order for them to work better and be accustomed to the company culture and climate. In high-potential mentorship on the other hand, existing employees that show promise are taken on by experienced persons who may be interested in seeing them progress higher through the company hierarchy.

These are only a few facts that are associated with mentoring. There are many mentoring and mentorship programs available, and you can find out more about them through the Internet.

Guiding young people toward a better life can be a rewarding experience, but it can be a difficult and harrowing experience as well. Many young persons are not necessarily open to being guided, and will often protest that they are shackled and constrained especially when someone insists on being the wiser being over them. Young persons need to be approached in a certain manner, and with a certain mien and creativity that should not go overboard into cuteness or cheesy lines. In other words, young persons need to know that they have someone to talk to, and in the process, they can still be guided.

It is in this league that juvenile mentoring programs operate. The process of mentoring involves matching mentors to a suitable younger person who need an adult who is responsible and caring. The adult mentors that participate in juvenile mentoring programs are usually not related to the teen or the child in question; this is because relatives are not often perceived with trust, especially where children of broken homes or abusive parents are concerned. The adult mentors that participate in juvenile mentoring programs are also usually volunteers who work through a program that is sponsored by the local community; a local school or community college; or the local church or religious group.

The mentoring process may be either formal or informal. In formal mentoring, the juvenile mentoring program has certain criteria to match mentors to their protégés, and social service workers, social psychologists, psychiatrists, and other experts who are working with the local community or the state determine these criteria. Formal mentoring might even involve a regimented schedule around which the mentoring will progress, where the mentor will be provided modules in order to guide the protégés or youth that are assigned to them.

Informal mentoring can also be done in a juvenile mentoring program. In this case, the criteria are not as stringent, and there are no set deadlines or schedules around which the mentoring will operate. Instead, the mentor will simply aim to educate and encourage the mentee, protégé, or youth to whom he or she is assigned. In some cases, there may be more than one mentee to a mentor, and it is these support groups that likewise help each other succeed.

There are many juvenile mentoring programs that are available around the world. For instance, there are after-school programs in which youth leaders help younger persons succeed in the world by teaching them different skills, knowledge, and even arts and crafts that are meant to impart independence and creativity. Such organizations might include the local 4-H or FFA. There are also programs in which young delinquents are assigned to mentors who will help them get a better education. Moreover, there are programs in which mentors who will help them overcome their personal limitations and thus succeed in life help at-risk youth, such as those in inner cities or in the ghettos.

Some juvenile mentoring programs might include the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, which helps youth do better through the help of older teens or young adults. There are still many other juvenile mentoring programs that are being developed, especially now that there are also many different kinds of dangers to which youth may fall into. Such dangers may include drugs, smoking, pornography, and even the Internet, where children may be preyed upon if they are not wise and careful enough.

If you want to find out more about juvenile mentoring programs, look online for programs that may either help you as a mentee, or train you as a mentor. You too, can help the younger generation do better in the years to come.

What is mentoring? Mentoring pertains to the development of rapport involving a more knowledgeable mentor and a less knowledgeable protégé or mentee. A protégé or a mentee is a person who is guided, supported and protected from an experienced mentor. A mentor is the one who boosts the career of a protégé or a mentee.

What is best practice? Best practice is an organizational idea, which states that there is a standard activity, process, method, technique, reward or incentive that is more effectual in accomplishing a specific result. The idea is that a desired result is delivered with few or no unexpected complications and/or problems. Best practices is also described as one of the most effective and efficient way in carrying out a task, based on tried and tested procedures.

Therefore, best practices in mentoring involve the development of an equally beneficial correlation that improves the proficient intelligence of the mentor and the protégé or the mentee. A good mentor usually projects expertness, candidness, affability, and communication skills. Enthusiastic protégés or mentees have a tendency to express desire for knowledge, utmost discipline and self-respect.

A Good Mentor

A good mentor is a mentor who (is):

? Listens well and treats the conversation with the mentee as confidential.

? Determines what is important to a mentee and explore their ambitions, propensities and skills.

? Knows the importance of the learning process by creating a candid and open relationship to promote confidence and trust.

? Accepts the fact that in some cases a mentee may need to seek other sources of assistance and help.

? Appropriately trained and has vast knowledge in mentoring.

? Should have a professional approach in mentor-mentee relationship.

? Refrain from mentoring those who are directly reporting to them, no matter how professional the relationship is, this will avoid other colleagues to think that the mentor may influence some matters pertaining to the issues concerning the mentee's decision and position.

A Good Mentee

A good mentee is a mentee who (is):

? Very enthusiastic to be taught and trained and is liberated to new ideas or concepts.

? A team player who can interact well with other people.

? A risk taker who is not afraid to go beyond the boundaries of safety and venture into uncertainties to learn.

? Patient enough to realize that an ambition in life cannot be acquired overnight.

? A positive attitude, even in the midst of a crisis.

? Demonstrates inventiveness and resourcefulness in any task assigned.

? Accepts feedback, negative or positive, about behavior and skills, with an intention to improve and learn from it.

When is a Mentor-Mentee Relationship Good?

A good mentor-mentee relationship is not just gauged by the personality of each that they bring into the relationship, more significantly, the occurrence of proper interaction and behavior is needed all throughout the process. What the mentor accomplishes with the mentee, and how eager the mentee responds and receives it, is what matters most in such a relationship.

A good mentor-mentee relationship cultivates and successfully carries out the following:

? Career Roles:

1. A mentor that introduces new opportunities to the mentee, which the latter believes in.

2. A mentor that coaches and sponsors a mentee, which the latter gratefully accepts.

3. A mentor that protects and challenges a mentee, which the latter understands as part of the relationship.

? Psychological Roles:

1. A mentor who is a role model, which the mentee looks up to.

2. A mentor who counsels, which the mentee receives wholeheartedly.

3. A mentor who befriends a mentee but is still focus enough to achieve the goals of the relationship.

4. A mentor and a mentee who accept and confirm each other's ideas.

Within this representation, a mentor serves as a leader, a teacher that encourages thinking abilities, an advocate of realistic principles, an overseer, and an analyst. A mentee on the other hand is a student who is willing to be taught and is ready to embark on a journey towards an absolute learning experience.

When mentoring is mentioned, what comes into anyone's mind?  It could be Socrates and Plato.  Or it could be Jesus the Christ and his disciples.  Whether these men used ?ice breakers' to make their students feel at ease, we would never know.  But for sure, ice breaking exercises open doors for both mentor and student relationship or student-to-student relationship. 

Mentoring is doing something valuable such as leading a less experienced individual to improve aspects in his life.  It could be his faith, his skills or even simple time management.  But even if you were the best mentor in the whole world, you would still need to break that barrier that comes with the stranger whom you will now teach.   And this is the area where icebreakers come in.

An ice breaking exercise need not be an unruly game.  In fact, it doesn't always come in the form of a game.  Sometimes, ice-breaking exercises could simply mean the mentor introducing himself to his students and encouraging them to do the same.  It could also be storytelling time for everyone.  The main purpose is to make the students relax and feel comfortable. 

An effective icebreaker is one that suits its participants.  A more serious group could feel at ease with open forums or storytelling while an active group could easily relax physical activities.  Icebreakers should also avoid activities that coerce communication, games that are not related to the course, games that take too long to finish, or activities that foster cultural biases.

In finding the perfect activities for a mentoring session, it is also important to consider the time factor.  How long will the mentoring last?  Would it take a week or two?  Or will it only last for two days?  You should be able to suit the activities to the available time that you have. 

Here are some tips on making your games or discussions much more interesting:

1. Be enthusiastic.  Feel the game.  You should be able to explain the mechanics with much liveliness in your voice.  An important part of this is to know every detail of the game.  You don't want to be caught unaware that you are confused with the game yourself.

2. Experiment with a different game each time.  Variety displaces boredom (which the mentor might feel once he gets familiar with the activity). 

3. Bring props.  Funny props create funny moments.  Make fun of anything except someone from the group.

4. Encourage each member of the group to participate.  Don't leave anyone out.  But if someone is implying that he is still not ready to be open or active, then respect his desire.

5. The mentor should actively participate in all given activities and not watch from a corner after explaining the mechanics. 

6. Make fun of situations that are outside of the circle.  Be careful of sensitive topics such as politics, religion, sexual preference, etc.

The most important part of mentoring is achieving the student's goal, which is academic, religious or social improvement.  Although ice-breaking exercises are fun activities, they are still a necessary part of the mentoring program. In fact, it's so important that it's considered as the key that opens closed gates.  With that in mind, participants should pay more attention and participate more on their next icebreaker. 

The Mentor-Mentee Relationship

The role of a mentor is to aid the mentee in reaching his goals. While the mentor can certainly learn a lot from teaching and leading others, the relationship between the mentor and the mentee should be mentee-centered. So the mentor should listen, guide, and even challenge the mentee to do his best in his job.

The mentorship program requires frequent contact between the mentor and the mentee for the communication line to remain open. Mentoring is interactive relationships wherein both parties can contribute to each other's grow as a person. You should take note that mentoring is far different from counseling and neither is it being buddies because mentoring is a tool that is used for personal and professional development.

Formal and Informal Mentoring

Anyone can be a mentor or a mentee without joining any mentoring program. For example, just riding a bus and then conversing with a stranger can be a form of mentoring if you learn something important from him; this type of mentoring is known as informal mentoring. Informal mentoring usually just occurs even if you don't plan it, this can be just as important as a formal mentoring program.

On the other hand, formal mentoring is having an acknowledged relationship between the mentor and the mentee. Formal mentoring would require the commitment of time and effort between the two parties so that they can share and learn from each other. This type of mentoring program can be for a specific project or for a specified time period.

Finding a Mentor

Having the wrong mentor can be even worse than having no mentor at all. For this reason, everyone should take the time and effort to look for a mentor that will suit their needs, personality, and learning style. You need to look within yourself and the environment around you; then, ask yourself what you really want to learn. Oftentimes, you need to consider the following questions before deciding on a mentor:

? Would the mentor provide me with good and accurate information?

? Would he support me in reaching my goals and objectives?

? Would he respect my dreams, my decisions, and my goal in life?

? Would he challenge me when it is necessary?

? Can the mentor actually be trusted?

? Am I willing to listen to this mentor's ideas and suggestions?

Asking these questions before you commit to a mentoring program is essential for you to reap the best possible benefit. It is also important to have a clear communication line between you and the mentor. Even at the start of the mentoring program, you already need to specify your expectations and your goal so that the mentor will know which direction to take.

Ending the Mentoring Program

However, all good things must come to an end. You cannot continue with the mentoring program forever; sure, you can still communicate with your mentor from time to time but being in a commitment to be each other's mentor and mentee can become more like a burden rather than a privilege after the mentoring program ends.

Both parties should acknowledge what they have learned and thank each other for the time and effort that the person has spent for another's well being. Even after the mentoring program ends though, the mentor can still support the mentee and be there for the mentee when he is needed.

Mentoring programs establish the self-confidence and the self-assurance of a mentee who uses it as a tool for personal and professional development. There are certainly many benefits you can expect from joining a mentoring program because you will learn from someone who has the necessary experience to coach you on what you have to do. Some of the benefits of mentoring include:

? Becoming a standout

? Leadership abilities

? Working smarter, not harder

These benefits may sound simple, but when you translate it in real life, you can definitely feel that mentoring is one of the best options to succeed in your career. Mentoring is actually a two-way relationship and both the mentor and the mentee will learn something from the mentoring program. Primarily though, mentoring programs are designed to enhance the capabilities of the mentee.

At the start of any mentoring programs, both the mentor and the mentee are encouraged to clarify their goals and expectations from the program. They need to create a well-designed plan and follow a specific course of action. There are a lot of cases wherein the mentoring program far exceeded the expectations of the mentee because the program provided the following as well:

? An insider's realistic perspective on his career goals and progress

? Clearer understanding of his career plans

? Exposure to varied experiences and perspectives

? Access to powerful sources of information

? Access to resources within the industry

? Greater knowledge about yourself and your goals

? A wider network of contacts

? Identification of any lacking skill that is required for career advancement

? Establishment of a foundation for a lasting professional career

? Access to a support system during the critical stages of your career growth

But the mentor would not be able to do everything for you; you need to help yourself as well. You need to do this by listening to the mentor's ideas and suggestions, try implementing these suggestions if you feel that these can help you in your career. It is also essential for you to listen to the feedback of others especially the opinion of the mentor during this critical time so that you can adjust to the situation accordingly. In addition, you should have set realistic expectations from what you hope to achieve from the mentoring program because it is difficult to have impossible goals and then expect the mentor to help you achieve these objectives.

You likewise need to have the willingness to learn and adapt to the different situations you might be facing at work. The mentor is simply the person you should count on for advice and suggestions about the path you should take. Mentoring should not be seen as the easy way out; rather, it should be seen as a tool that will help you grow further in your career and on your personal life.

And these objectives are only possible if you learn to believe in yourself and know that you are capable of doing great things in your life. Mentoring programs can help you reach this state and once you are at this point, it would be inevitable for you to enjoy the fruits of your success. As you can see, while the mentor will provide you with guidance during the mentoring program, your success is entirely up to you.

Mentoring is an important aspect of schooling, although even educators themselves often neglect it.  Although many students often do well without extra assistance, they can do so through extra effort and work on their part.  Many students, however, either lacks the opportunity or the will to perform better.  As a result, they often require mentoring in schools.

Beyond academics

Many experts also believe that mentoring can make a difference for students who are exposed to unreliable and even risky influences, such as those that push them to abuse drugs, become sexually active too early, experience early pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.  Some students may also be exposed to delinquency, truancy and even violence.  With the right mentoring programs, exposure of students and other youths from these risks may be reduced or even eliminated. 

Implementing mentoring programs in schools

Although recognized as an important part of certain academic processes, mentoring remains as one of the least understood practices in many educational institutions.  If not implemented properly, it can become under-utilized, mismanaged or even turn out to be a costly yet ineffective endeavor.  To ensure success in the use of mentoring programs in schools, certain considerations must be kept in mind:

Proper planning

The goal of mentoring is to improve student performance in schools and ensure that they are well prepared for interaction with their social environments.  It is important that an organization understands what they wish to attain through their mentoring programs by ensuring that qualitative and quantitative standards are in place.

Goals and objectives of the mentoring program must also be specific and well structured to allow those implementing it to determine if the procedures are being followed.  This is important if compliance is an issue.

Building the core group or staff

A mentoring program within a school will be more effective if a central core of educators is on hand to design, implement and assess it.  This will help ensure a well-organized program that is easy to monitor and run.

Recruitment of mentors

The type of mentors to be chosen for the program is indicative of its success.  Mentors may be selected through volunteer programs, where other students and even members of the faculty can sign up for the task or through active recruitment wherein mentors may be sought out and asked to join.  If necessary, other members of the community may also be tapped. 

A set of qualifications may be set in order for mentors to meet quality standards and help streamline the application process. 

Screening for mentors

The next step in creating a mentoring program for schools is to screen the mentors for eligibility.  After reviewing the applications, the core group can begin interviewing the mentor applicants to determine their fit in the program.  This is especially important if there are certain activities that may require extra tasks for the mentors or the mentees.  If certain activities off-campus is required, for example, students may have to involve parental permission in order to participate.

Training for mentors

An important part of a mentoring program is mentor training.  Just because a person is qualified does not make him a perfect candidate for mentorship.  He or she must be able to understand the goals of the program.  He must also be informed about certain limitations and boundaries he must work in.  Certain communication skills must also be checked or improved if necessary.

Matching mentors with mentees

As one of the final steps for implementing a program for mentoring in schools, pairing mentors with mentees can be a challenge.  However, it is important that this is considered carefully.  There are no set standards about pairing but most experts suggest it's best to consider personality and mentoring styles in order to create a perfect match.  If a certain match proves to be bad, corrections must be implemented immediately.

"Mentoring", this Greek term has been used in countless ways so you can expect that there are various wise mentoring quotes that abound. But it all refers to the same concept, giving guidance and advice to another person. The term "mentoring" actually comes from the Greek word that means enduring. This is a committed relationship between a youth and an adult wherein the adult has the patience to teach the youth whatever he knows from life. It is the adult's responsibility to provide support, assistance, and guidance as the younger one faces new challenges and problems everyday. Mentors usually take the role of the parents when the parent is busy or unavailable during the critical stages of a person's life.

There are basically two types of mentoring; the first is natural mentoring and the second is planned mentoring. Natural mentoring can come from everyday situations wherein anyone can be your mentor. You can learn through collegiality, through friendship, through teaching, or through counseling. On the other hand, planned mentoring comes from a structured program wherein the mentor and the mentee are chosen from a list and matched through a formal procedure.

Currently, mentoring is becoming increasingly popular in the workforce as well as for personal development. This is partly due to various testimonials among people who have tried it and derived a lot of advantages from the mentoring program. But how does mentoring exactly work? Well, if you wan to look into the formal mentoring programs, you should be aware that your mentor would be chosen by an authority figure through interviews, comparative index outlook, and by looking at their personal profiles.

Of course, in most cases, the mentor and the mentee would need to get acquainted first before the mentoring program can start. Mentors are needed because they can be a positive influence on the mentee who is learning from them. As Gandhi once said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." Mentors can be a force of change and they can influence a lot of people, including you, by becoming a respected authority figure.

Ralph Waldo Emerson stated that, "You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late." And indeed, mentors are doing kindness when they take on the responsibility of helping other people learn from their experiences. Through this, they can give back to society and make career growth, personal development, or intellectual achievement possible for the person they are mentoring.

As you can observe, mentoring is helpful for educational purposes wherein the mentor will help the mentee improve their overall academic achievement. Likewise, mentoring is also very helpful in the workplace because mentors can provide the necessary insights and perspectives on what a person should do to achieve his goals. Meanwhile, having a mentor would also be a very helpful option in your personal development because the mentor can help you during tough personal and social stress and offer guidance just when you need it the most.

A very nice quote from an unknown author read, "A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could." The mentor does just that; they believe that their mentees can do it. This, in itself, is usually encouragement enough for the mentee to do their best to succeed in life.

When the subject of conversation turns to rich culture and traditions, Africa would definitely be a part of that discussion.  And with the voyage of Africans to the Great Americas, these people have endured so much?poverty, discrimination, racism and numerous other attacks.  The society, as it seemed, had waged war against this race but they were resilient.  And now that they are among a different nation, it is imperative that these African Americans uphold their traditions. 

Just looking at how African Americans survived the slavery and intolerance against them, you would grow to respect these people.  But what made them pliant to all these trials?  Was it keeping their traditions?  If it was, how did these traditions reach the modern day African American kids?  Handing down these customs to younger generations meant having someone teach the ways of the old.  This is where mentoring comes in.

Mentoring is simply defined as a process where an experienced individual gives support and encouragement to a person who has less experience.  The mentor then serves as the advisor though his example and guidance.  Mentoring could be informal or formal. 

With formal mentoring among African Americans, the mentor could be the guide of the student on his academic works.  He could also guide the student to community affairs, which aim to maintain their traditions through several factors such as religion, music, poetry, and others. It could also be as serious as coping with racial discrimination and how to be confident despite the environmental circumstances. With informal mentoring, it could simply mean teaching time management or networking with the same groups of people. 

But what are the traditions that need to be handed down to the next generation?  Looking at the younger generations of African Americans now, we can conclude that they have gone a long way and have improved immensely in all aspects.  Confidence and self-worth is a great part of African American mentoring.  What is there to be ashamed about their culture anyway?  They are a great people and they value close family ties, respect for the elderly and they excel in arts and sports.

Due to this need for mentoring among the black race, 100 Black Men, Inc. was born in 1963.  Its purpose is to improve African American lives in a community full of whites.  Currently, there are famous members such as Denzel Washington, Bill Cosby, Michael Jordan, to name a few. 

Mentoring was and still is an essential duty of this organization.  One of their programs intended that children ages nine until post secondary learning would get holistic knowledge through some rites of passage which includes preparation of the males for their manhood.  Also, the subjects cover aspects of heritage, family, etiquette, survival and other skills, and even faith.  Resource management, athletics and tutoring are also essential parts of the learning process.

By taking part in such mentoring activities, the young African American would develop better understanding of his culture.  Pride and self-esteem would also be established without disrespecting other colors or race.

The mentoring process, in general, teaches respect and appreciation for the African culture.  By knowing the rich history and contemporary assets of these people, they are better able to keep and protect what rightfully belongs to them, which no amount of slavery would be able to corrupt.  

Mentoring provides an opportunity for a nurse to develop their careers and an opportunity to aim for leadership positions. A mentor should be able to train and guide a newbie nurse to better understand the importance of his or her profession. Mentors should be able to give support, reinforcement to motivate and to increase the job satisfaction rate of a mentee-nurse. Mentoring is a helpful method in the recruitment and retaining staff members in a medical institution for the citizen of the community.

Mentoring is.

? A relationship that is professional and based on free will.

? A relationship that has communal respect and goals.

? A relationship that is beneficial to individuals involved.

The two types of mentoring are.

? Formal: a peer kind of mentor-mentee relationship.

? Informal: mentor-mentee relationship that is structured and created at a general practice.

Mentoring relationships needs.

? Trust

? Respect

? Commitment

? Confidentiality

? Accessibility

? Flexibility

The crucial facets of a mentoring relationship are.

? Objectives and goals.

? Shared networks and resources.

? Time and process for evaluation.

Mentors may assists mentees by.

? Making new nurses understand their role in general practice.

? Making new or veteran nurses manage in the ever changing role in nursing practice.

? Making new or veteran nurses manage practice settings with issues that are new and existing.

? Making new or veteran nurses manage professional practice that deal with personal needs.

The benefits and advantages of being a mentee is.

? To understand how the general practice functions.

? To build up interpersonal skills.

? To receive encouragement, support and feedback.

? To acquire know-how about practice nurse roles.

? To have a chance to expand networks and lessen isolation in the profession.

? To get help in clarifying career pathways and goals.

The benefits and advantage of being a mentor is.

? To take part in the chance to contribute one's experience and wisdom.

? To build up interpersonal skills.

? To achieve a feeling of self worth and satisfaction.

? To achieve further know-how in a new role.

? To achieve recognition and acknowledgement among colleagues for the contribution to the general practice as mentor.

? To have a chance to expand networks and lessen isolation in the profession.

The benefits and advantages of mentoring nurses in the general practice is that.

? Through mentoring nurses are becoming more productive and motivated.

? Through mentoring the general practice have the upper hand in catching the attention of prospective staff members.

? Through mentoring staff members improved their teamwork and communication skills.

? Through mentoring participating staff members are gaining positive commitment.

What not to anticipate of mentoring in the general practice:

? Mentoring is in NO way a substitute to meet education needs.

? Mentoring is in NO way a universal remedy for all concerns, issues and problems.

? Mentoring is in NO way a substitute for a professional educator.

In general practice a mentor is not.

? An advocate.

? A tutor.

? An educator.

Thus mentors should not be expected to know all the answers to all questions and queries. On the other hand, mentors should be able to give guidance and assistance to significant matters that may need relevant information and sources. Basically, mentors are only there to guide mentees in the search for learning experiences that are not taught in the four corners of a classroom.