My ebook is now available. It's been available on Amazon since July. This is one of many nursing updates to come.
This book is all about nursing. It is a compilation of my completed and submitted NMC Nursing Revalidation. For the non-nurse,
NMC is The Nursing and Midwifery Council - a registration required to practice nursing in the UK.
The series demonstrates how I moved into strategic management, the positions, responsibilities, and reflections used to meet the revalidation requirement 🥰
In addition to its availability, I am also providing mentoring/coaching sessions to aspiring nurse leaders. Click here to request support.
Mentoring and coaching are both valuable forms of professional development for nurses, but they have different purposes, processes, and outcomes. In this blog, I will explain the difference between mentoring and coaching nurses, and how they can complement each other.
What is mentoring?
One of the first responsibility you acquire as a qualified nurse, is to mentor student nurses. Mentoring is a long-term relationship between a mentor and a mentee, who share similar backgrounds, interests, or goals. The mentor is usually a senior or experienced nurse, who provides guidance, support, and advice to the mentee, who is a junior or novice nurse. The mentor helps the mentee to navigate the challenges and opportunities of their career, as well as to develop their personal and professional identity.
What is coaching?
Unlike mentoring, qualified nurses are not trained to coach. however, coaching skills can be developed in your nursing career as you progress. Coaching is a short-term or goal-oriented relationship between a coach and a coachee, who may or may not have similar backgrounds, interests, or goals. The coach is usually a trained or certified professional, who facilitates the learning and growth of the coachee, who is a nurse at any level of experience. The coach helps the coachee to identify and achieve their specific goals, as well as to enhance their skills, knowledge, and performance.
How are mentoring and coaching different?
Mentoring and coaching differ in several aspects, such as:
Focus: Mentoring focuses on the overall development and well-being of the mentee, while coaching focuses on the specific objectives and outcomes of the coachee.
Direction: Mentoring is more directive, as the mentor shares their wisdom, experience, and feedback with the mentee, while coaching is more non-directive, as the coach asks questions, listens, and reflects with the coachee.
Agenda: Mentoring is more flexible, as the agenda is set by the mentee, who decides what they want to learn and discuss with the mentor, while coaching is more structured, as the agenda is set by the coachee, who defines their goals and action plans with the coach.
Duration: Mentoring is more long-lasting, as the relationship can last for months or years, while coaching is more short-term, as the relationship can last for weeks or months.
How can mentoring and coaching work together?
Mentoring and coaching are not mutually exclusive, but rather complementary forms of professional development for nurses. They can work together to provide a holistic and comprehensive approach to learning and growth. For example:
A nurse can have both a mentor and a coach, who can offer different perspectives and support for their career and personal development.
A mentor can use coaching skills, such as asking open-ended questions, active listening, and giving constructive feedback, to enhance their mentoring relationship and effectiveness.
A coach can use mentoring skills, such as sharing relevant stories, resources, and networks, to enrich their coaching relationship and rapport.
Mentoring and coaching are both beneficial and rewarding experiences for nurses, as they can help them to improve their skills, performance, and well-being, as well as to achieve their potential and aspirations. By understanding the difference between mentoring and coaching, nurses can choose the best form of professional development for their needs and goals.
It has been an amazing journey for me and I'm excited to share, support, empower, and encourage others as a coach or mentor.
Kindly share this blog with your friends and family, nurses especially those who aspire to start their nursing career, or transition away from bedside nursing.
©Self-Care is Your-Care
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