Assessment of Institution Related Mentorship Factors Influencing Clinical Competences of Diploma Nursing Students at Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital, Mombasa

Abstract

Nurses work in various healthcare settings, where they provide quality care to patients and interact with other healthcare professionals. To be able to do this, they are required to acquire immense knowledge, clinical competences, and skills during training. Training initiatives should prioritize the acquisition of competences through mentorship. Student mentoring involves the relationship between a student and a mentor, and the actions involved in the acquisition of skills, knowledge, and changes in attitude that culminate in professional growth and competences. This study sought to assess institution-related mentorship factors influencing the clinical competences of nursing students at Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital, Mombasa. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional survey. The findings revealed that due to the high number of students per mentor, it was difficult to assist all the students assigned to them. This consequently hinders the proper development of expected skills, knowledge, and competences. Secondly, there was no intentional matching of experienced senior qualified staff with students. The students, however, perceived themselves as competent and had acquired average to moderate level competence in communication skills, decision-making, teamwork, performance of nursing skills/procedures, problem solving skills, and self-confidence. Correlation results indicated that institution factors such as practice placement positively influence nursing students' acquisition of clinical competences. This study therefore recommends the hospital to improve the experiential mentoring environment so that the students can be offered appropriate mentorship support while in the clinical placements for them to be able to apply knowledge learnt in class. A policy on the implementation of a formal structured mentorship program should be put in place at the nurse training institution and at the hospital so that there is a precedent standard that can be followed to enhance the acquisition of clinical competences. There should also be a mentoring action plan where students are intentionally matched to mentors depending on the placement to avoid overburdening one mentor with many students and so that they can receive appropriate mentorship support.