Mentoring in nursing began with the development of the nursing profession. Florence Nightingale was referred to as the mentor of matrons, which is what nurses were called at that time. NOVA’s Empower Mentoring Program was launched in 2016 by the NOVA Education Committee working with two Jonas Scholars, Shanina Knighton and Natalie Myers and has been revised every year since that time. NOVA developed the Empower Mentoring Program to help NOVA members meet professional goals and pursue dreams related to professional advancement within VA. Goals of NOVA’s Mentoring Program include developing supportive and encouraging relationships in the Department of Veterans Affairs, and guiding NOVA nurses in professional, personal, and interpersonal growth. The program is designed to guide a mutual relationship between an experienced VA nurse who is the mentor and the mentee. Nursing mentors assist less experienced nurses to understand their profession and advance their careers. Mentoring programs have demonstrated significant benefits for both mentors and mentees, including sharing knowledge, expertise, and skills. Mentors develop improved interactive listening skills, and mentees develop analytic problem-solving skills.

NOVA mentors have identified the rewards of helping mentees including feeling valued, adding value to your career, creating an opportunity to give back, learning while teaching, creating lasting relationships, satisfaction in seeing mentees achieve goals, satisfaction in seeing chapter leaders make a plan to increase their membership, helping someone learn the VA system, and the ability to impart knowledge and see the mentee grow professionally. NOVA mentees identified rewards of the mentoring program including having someone who listens and gives advice, having someone to guide a career, gain knowledge and helpful tips, receiving help with the annual proficiency self-assessment, having a sounding board for advice, being encouraged to think outside the box, feeling supported, feeling challenged, having somebody to explain the VA,  being able to ask questions from someone outside your VA and VISN, and getting advice from someone who is really smart and has a lot of VA experience. The mentoring program is reviewed annually in December, with both mentor and mentee making a decision regarding continuing the program.  

Should you ask for a mentor? Ask yourself the following questions:  Would you like help navigating the VA system, developing supportive and encouraging relationships, guidance in professional, personal, and interpersonal growth? Would you like to connect with seasoned NOVA members to benefit from their expertise and experience?  Would you like specific assistance related to current needs? Are you willing to complete the program requirements and work with a mentor to achieve your goals? If the answer to any of those questions is yes, request a mentor.

Should you become a mentor? Ask yourself the following questions: Have you worked in the VA for a year or more?  Do you know things now that you wished somebody told you when you first started in VA?  Do you like helping people? Do you want to enrich your time in VA? Do you want to help people navigate the sometimes confusing routes to promotion and career development in the VA? Do you want to answer questions from VA nurses who would like help with a situation they’re encountering at work? Do you want to help VA nurses start a NOVA chapter or help make a NOVA chapter better? Do you want to make a difference? If you answered yes to any of these questions, sign up to be a mentor.  

Learn more about the NOVA Mentorship Program here.