Nancy Rollins Gantz

In my more than 30 years in the nursing profession, I have been richly blessed and rewarded with experiences and enhanced knowledge that have been the direct result of mentoring. In addition to mentoring relationships established through formal and informal contracts, I have greatly benefited from “silent” mentors, exemplar role models who had no idea I was embracing their words, actions and philosophies.

Mentoring accounts for much of my leadership growth. Only through the influence of those who have gone before me or have come alongside me have I been able to glean the education needed to move from critical-care nurse to vice president of nursing to international consultant. I have also observed clinical nurses advance from novice to best-practice expert through the formal process of mentoring.

Mentoring involves both a mentor and a mentee, and each gains from individual learning, development and evolution. I benefited from mentoring early in my career, but all of us have unique opportunities to embrace and consistently practice this important art. Never has the need for mentoring been more critical than in the current health care environment, thus my passion for creating this book.

In my professional responsibilities as nurse and nurse leader, I have not wavered from making this project a career priority. We must promote and create a thriving, sustainable environment for aspiring nurse leaders around the globe, and if we do not collectively, actively and consistently practice the art of mentoring, these future leaders will not be prepared to practice, conduct research, educate others and collaborate internationally for the advancement of the profession and health care.

The seed of an idea
Following are just two examples of the enriching and inspirational stories I read when putting together 101 Global Leadership Lessons for Nurses: Shared Legacies From Leaders and Their Mentors. This collection represents every continent, except Antarctica, and illustrates the unique education and growth that a mentor-mentee relationship makes possible. These unique benefits accrue not only to the individual but also to the profession as a whole.

“When I speak about nursing in Croatia,” wrote mentee Adriano Friganović, RN, BSN, University Hospital ICU Unit, Zagreb, Croatia, “I stress that I am proud because I belong to a nursing profession, and because I had the opportunity to watch and learn from senior nurses such as Mrs. Dragica Šimunec and to implement that experience in my future practice. Here is a short story about how her mentoring has made a significant impact on my nursing practice and development.
 
“During my nursing education, I was disappointed because I didn’t feel any reason to stay in this practice. There were several reasons. At that time, nurses were not autonomous and education was on a basic level. Further, it was limited, and nursing wasn’t a respected profession. Our teachers tried to facilitate our movement in the right direction and give us as much as possible, but it wasn’t enough. When I finished my education, I started to work in an intensive care unit for cardiac surgery patients. I enjoyed the nursing care of critically ill patients, to assist in different procedures and to learn new things.
 
“In 1999, I started to work for the central office of the CNA (in my free time), and I met many nurses from all parts of Croatia. All of them wanted to improve nursing in Croatia. The key person at that time was my mentor for this text—Mrs. Šimunec—who did many positive things for nurses. She never gave up. We had many problems at that time, but despite everything, my attitude toward my profession started to change. I decided to try to do all that I could to help in this struggle” (from Chapter 62, “Organizational Development for Professional Autonomy”).

“Time, resources, and agendas are often detours on the path of partnerships,” wrote mentee Ashley Currier, RN, BSN, manager, inpatient surgical, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, USA. “However, I’ve learned that detours can and should be a minor hiccup. Through juggling various demands, I have formed some of my most effective and most creative partnerships.
 
“Fran Vlasses and I began working together on the Nursing Research Council at Northwestern Memorial Hospital after Fran joined as a faculty research consultant from Loyola University Niehoff School of Nursing. There is something magical about hearing your thoughts and passions echoed by another person. Fran often provides the well-articulated sentence that I wish I had said. Her nursing expertise has enhanced my excitement and newness to the field. Fran meets every challenge with an open mind, collaborates effectively with her resources and champions action toward an innovative solution. Fran, a representative from the academic world, and her work at Loyola University are enriching my mind. Successful partnerships, to me, are those you can mold and shape over time and bring along wherever your path may take you” (from Chapter 1, “Academic and Service Partnership: A Stronger Voice”).

Compilation of chapters and authors
When I began the process of recruiting 101 authors for my book—I ended up with 210 authors—my goal was to have more than half of the chapters authored by nurse leaders outside the United States. I knew that mentoring was occurring in other countries, and their perspectives would be educational and inspirational for others. As a global consultant and lecturer, I also knew that the nursing world is quite small, and that many issues and challenges faced by nurses around the globe are virtually identical.

I was surprised, however, by the response from a chief nursing officer in another country to my request to participate in this project. More than 25 years ago, both of us were directors of critical care. We both had worked our way up to the position of chief nursing officer, and we often reflected on the steps and challenges we had encountered on our individual career paths. Thus, her e-mailed comment that neither she nor her team had the time or resources to be involved in mentoring came as a surprise. She went on to explain that the nursing shortage had hit hard in their organization, and that funds and other resources were restricted. Does that sound familiar to anyone? I believe that most who read this article could relate to that statement. In these times of chaos, constant change and daily challenges, mentoring becomes even more essential for nurses, in all positions and specialties. Each of us has a professional responsibility to participate in the process.

Breadth of topics
The chapter titled “The Role of Caring in Leadership Development” shows how casual collaboration and communication between Marina Boykova, MSc, RN, a dynamic nurse leader in a neonatal unit in Russia, and Carole Kenner, DNS, RNC-NIC, FAAN, dean of the University of Oklahoma School of Nursing in the United States, led to a strong mentoring relationship and advanced education for Boykova. Their chapter beautifully illustrates how caring and compassion enter into the mentoring process to create an incredible bond between mentee and mentor. Both experienced significant growth. Boykova, the mentee, states that the majority of nursing programs in Russia are operated and taught by physicians, with limited nursing leadership and autonomy. When she returns to Russia after completing her PhD, Boykova will make even greater contributions to the nursing profession in that country as a result of this mentoring experience and will reach her goal “to move mountains.”      

In the chapter “Global Nursing at Its Best,” the Botswana authors show how small the world has become and how significant nursing collaboration and networks have become in the past decade. When countries come together and share strengths and best practices, it is a win for the nursing profession globally. This chapter describes ongoing avenues of collaboration that are critical for advancement of the nursing profession. Esther Salang Seloilwe, PhD, RN, RM, writes about the formation of the Africa Honor Society for Nursing and how collaboration and mentoring, essential for the honor society’s development, provided cutting-edge knowledge for this new organization.

The book’s 103 chapters address topics that range from development of listening skills, conflict resolution, communication, nurse retention and transformational change to organizational unity. The chapters provide a foundation for development of best practices in active mentoring. An added benefit is the 10-question self-assessment that concludes each chapter.

Lessons learned
As the 210 authors took on the challenge of writing individual chapters for the book, I became more aware of the challenges we face and opportunities we have in health care and the nursing profession. While some countries have profited from the examples of other countries to move forward in nursing, many still require nursing support from other nations to make needed progress.

It also became evident that, because of the enormity of this project, the six-month process normally associated with publishing a book through the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International was insufficient for accomplishing the task. For some authors, meeting deadlines was a challenge but, overall, I was impressed by the commitment and energy shown by everyone in seeing this book through to completion.  

As chapter drafts were received and the revision process began, I was pleased with my colleagues’ quality of writing and dedication to the task. The stories of mentoring were impressive and encouraging. Some chapters consisted of a dialogue between the mentee and mentor. Others, written together, demonstrated the growth and benefit of the process. Still others were told as a nurturing, cultivated story. The chapters titled “Goal Setting” and “Succession Planning” were especially encouraging. The former is a discourse between a father and daughter, and the latter is a dialogue between a mother and daughter. Together, they make a powerful and positive statement about our profession to colleagues and the community at large. 

The book provides clear evidence that future nursing leaders around the globe are concerned about and actively engaged in improving health care, the nursing profession and international connectedness. The international examples of mentoring provide blueprints for other connections and professional interactions.

The most critical lesson I learned in the process of compiling this book is the importance of leaders creating and embedding a mentoring culture in their organization. Articulated roles and responsibilities, follow-up, feedback and individual accountability remain essential components of a successful mentoring process. Mentoring is a continuous, communicative practice that encompasses many challenges and obstacles but is worthy of the investment in time and energy. As Gary Zukav, author of The Seat of the Soul (1990), states: “At each moment, you choose the intentions that will shape your experiences and those things upon which you will focus your attention. ... If you choose unconsciously, you evolve unconsciously. If you choose consciously, you evolve consciously.” RNL

Nancy Rollins Gantz, MSN, RN, PhD, MBA, NE-BC, MRCNA, is president and senior consultant for CAPP International, Sydney, Australia, and Mesa, Arizona, USA. Readers are encouraged to communicate directly with the author about their mentoring experiences at nancygantz@gmail.com. ‘The more examples I compile,” writes Gantz, “the more I can share with all of you a second or third volume of successful mentoring around the globe! It is through our concentrated efforts and energy that we will move the international nursing arena forward. I challenge each of you to mentor as if our professional life—or our profession as a whole—depends on it.” 

References:
Gantz, N.R. (2010). 101 global leadership lessons for nurses: Shared legacies from leaders and their mentors. Indianapolis, IN: Sigma Theta Tau International.

Zukav, G. The seat of the soul. (1990). New York: Simon and Schuster.