IN FALL 2024, the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing (UNMC CON) implemented the Mary Eliza Mahoney Mentoring Program (MEMMP). The MEMMP addresses the immediate and ongoing recruitment and retention needs of prelicensure nursing students from underrepresented and first-generation populations. The purpose of the MEMMP is to implement a proven mentoring model (Christian, Cater, & Dieujuste, 2021) in the CON at UNMC that simultaneously transforms the trajectories of academically at-risk students, recruits nurses from communities most in need, and encourages nursing graduates to serve those same communities.
The MEMMP is modeled after the Dotson Bridge and Mentoring program, an existing and successful program at Simmons University in Boston, Massachusetts (Simmons University, 2024). UNMC CON Dean Lepaine Sharp-McHenry has experience with the Dotson Bridge program and its beneficial outcomes. She adds, “The Dotson Bridge Mentoring Program is a phenomenal program geared toward recruiting, retaining, and graduating Asian, Latina, African, and Native American (ALANA) and first-generation nursing students. The goal is to invest in their success as future nursing professionals.” Based on the success of the mentoring program at Simmons University, Dean Sharp-McHenry collaborated with an anonymous community donor to replicate the mentoring program at the UNMC CON.
MEMMP will set students up for academic success and provide professional role models to build relationships designed to retain nurses in Nebraska. Professional mentorship is important for all nursing students but is particularly important for students from communities currently underrepresented in the nursing profession and first-generation students.
Each student, known as a Mahoney Scholar, is assigned an experienced nurse mentor employed in practice who will provide individualized support every week. The Mahoney Scholars will have opportunities to participate in specialized workshops, study groups, and leadership programs. Students also are expected to participate in a community service project each year to foster civic responsibility and reinforce the expectations of a professional nurse. The MEMMP is housed in the UNMC CON and led by Director Dr. Precious Davis, who is committed to mentoring undergraduate students. “Providing an experienced nurse from the community as a mentor for these students will be a key ingredient to their success in overcoming generational barriers in education,” states Dr. Davis. “The enthusiasm from both the Mahoney Scholars and the mentoring staff and faculty is so encouraging.”
MEMMP recently enrolled 50 Mahoney Scholars across all UNMC CON campuses and secured 20 nurse mentors from the local community, 8 Peer Mentors, 8 Graduate Assistants, 5 Faculty Liaisons, and is additionally supported by each campus’ Assistant Dean. In addition, the Mahoney Scholars will receive a $10,000 scholarship for full participation in the program. We believe MEMMP has a tremendous opportunity to not only grow the Nebraska nursing workforce but also impact the demographics of the Nebraska nursing workforce so that it includes more underrepresented and first-generation populations. To our knowledge, MEMMP is the first of its kind in Nebraska.
RESOURCES FOR THE MAHONEY SCHOLARS INCLUDE:
- A dedicated space on each campus with computers and whiteboards to facilitate learning.
- Workshops to address soft skills development and content-specific needs identified by the scholars.
- Support for the development of writing skills.
- Study groups for the most challenging courses to foster collaborative learning, networking, and friendships; these will be led by Peer Mentors (senior level UNMC CON students) and Graduate Assistants (UNMC CON graduate students).
- A Faculty Liaison from each campus to support the Director, coordinate local operationalization of the MEMMP, and interface with Peer Mentors and Graduate Assistants.
- A leadership workshop offered annually with guest speakers to inspire students to develop a leadership mindset as they develop as a future nurse.
- Study space to facilitate group tutoring; workshops, and peer collaborations, and Provide tools to optimize academic success.
Reference
Christian, L., Cater, G., & Dieujuste, C. (2021). The Dotson bridge and mentoring program: A diversity success story. Nurse Educator, 46(5), 306-310.
