Nurse Educators' Experiences With a Faculty Navigator Program: A Mixed-Methods Study

Abstract

Background: There is a gap in studies examining formal mentorship programs designed for ongoing faculty support. Method: A mixed-methods explanatory research design was used to examine nurse educators' experiences of a navigation-based mentoring program in a baccalaureate nursing program in Western Canada. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the means of three subsets of the Capabilities of Nurse Educators (CONE) questionnaire. Interviews were conducted, and data were analyzed using qualitative descriptive methods. Results: The findings highlight the positive effects the faculty navigator program had on faculty's confidence and development as educators. The most significant finding was the in-time relational support that faculty navigators provided to prevent new faculty from feeling alone in their new role. Conclusion: The faculty navigator program is effective for its setting. This program could be expanded to facilitate stronger learner-centered approaches to teaching in various settings with faculty of varying expertise. [ J Nurs Educ . 2022;61(10):587–590.]