16: REFLECTIVE RESPONSE 2 ■ 395scholarship of discovery. Finding the right mentors was not a spontaneous process. It
required a willingness on my part to seek out mentors with skills that would address my
learning needs and complement my own developmental needs. My own role develop-
ment continues to change in its focus and intensity.
Findings from the AACN’s fall 2014 survey of nursing schools indicated that the
number of students from minority backgrounds in practice- focused doctoral programs
increased to 28.7% (AACN, 2015). The authors discuss the challenges of these underrep-
resented groups and how mentors can be especially helpful. It has been my experience
that most organizations do not have formal mentoring programs complicating the prob-
lem, especially for underrepresented groups. Those individuals from underrepresented
groups are also often unaware of the significance of mentoring or cannot find mentors
committed to their career success (Beech et al., 2013). Innovative solutions are required
to close this gap.
The author provides tips for the mentor and mentee. In order for a successful
relationship between the mentor and mentee, there needs to be mutual respect and a
willingness to compromise. The mentors who had the most influence in my life dem-
onstrated a strong commitment and supported my professional goals. These mentors
were not assigned but rather they were sought out through my personal motivation
and self- inventory. The mentors provided guidance with respect to personal learning
networks, which contributed to my personal professional growth. Thus, the mentee is
also a key stakeholder in the relationship. Mentees need to be accountable, be prepared
and on time, ask relevant questions, and explore issues from multiple angles. Mentors
may need to put aside their own agendas unless they are mutually shared.
One of the biggest obstacles in a fruitful mentoring relationship is finding the time
for the mentor– mentee relationship. Since the world is shrinking because of technology,
technology is a catalyst to bring the mentor and mentee together via virtual meetings
and e- mail, meeting the needs of the mentee in real- time. Panopoulos and Sarri (2013)
examined the variables with e- mentoring and found that the medium for which the
mentor and mentee met did not matter. What mattered most was the frequency of the
interactions. More engagement resulted in greater the career development and satisfac-
tion whether in- person or via e- mentoring. Perhaps the use of e- mentoring can remove
some of the barriers for the underrepresented with respect to obtaining engaged men-
tors. The mentee is no longer confined to finding mentors within his or her organization.
The pool of mentors can be expanded globally using the technology. Leck and Wood
(2013) suggest that e- mentoring is particularly beneficial to individuals of marginalized
groups because the barriers associated with social status are less visible in the electronic
exchange. Traditional mentoring relies on physical space. Stereotypes can surface and
be applied both with and without conscious awareness. These biases can hamper the
quality of the exchange between the mentor and mentee. Therefore, it may be reason-
able to suggest that the dynamics that the authors discuss as the old girls’ network may
change in an e- mentoring relationship.
Today, health care exists within a complex microsystem. DNPs can have a pro-
found impact on national and global health care. DNPs can serve as change agents and
take the lead in addressing in health care delivery challenges by serving as interprofes-
sional collaborators while simultaneously improving clinical practice and patient out-
comes. Excellent mentorship should include cultural diversity and nurse empowerment
to produce diverse, competent, and progressive health care leaders.
Mentorship can also cultivate successful role assimilation and professional iden-
tity; however, traditional, dyad, mentor– mentee relationships may not be sufficient.
DNP students and graduates may need multiple mentors that form learning networks
and linkages, which explore issues from multiple perspectives. Since developmental