NOVA developed the Empower Mentoring Program to help you meet professional goals and pursue dreams for professional advancement within the VA.  The program is designed to guide a mutual relationship between an experienced VA nurse who is the mentor and the mentee.  NOVA mentees completed a survey and identified benefits of having a mentor including: someone to help guide your career, gaining knowledge and helpful tips, being encouraged to think outside the box, having someone who listens and gives advice, getting help with a proficiency, feeling supported and challenged, gaining knowledge, having a sounding board for advice, having somebody to explain VA, and getting advice from someone who is really smart and has a lot of VA experience.  

NOVA mentors completed a survey and identified the benefits of being a mentor including:  rewards of helping, the opportunity to give back, seeing mentees achieve goals, helping someone learn the VA system, watching a nurse grow and learning from them, learning while teaching, feeling valued, adding valued to your career, creating relationships, the satisfaction of helping a mentee, and having the ability to impart knowledge and see your mentee grow professionally.

Should you ask for a mentor?  Would you like help navigating the VA system, developing supportive and encouraging relationships, receiving 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, such as promotion?  Are you willing to complete the program requirements and work with a mentor to achieve your goals?

Should you become a mentor?  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 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 chapter better?  Do you want to make a difference? 

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, go to the NOVA Webpage; click on Education, then select Mentorship Program.