Degree Name
Nursing Practice, DNP
Publication Date
4-28-2026
First Advisor
Lisa Drake
Second Advisor
Diane Hare
Abstract
The ongoing nursing faculty shortage limits program capacity and makes it harder to retain novice nurse educators transitioning from clinical practice to academia. The literature highlights issues such as insufficient mentorship, role confusion, and a lack of structured support as key factors contributing to early faculty attrition. This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to implement and evaluate an evidence-based mentorship program to improve perceptions of mentorship effectiveness among new-to-academia nurse faculty in a School of Nursing in Arkansas. The purpose was to implement and evaluate a mentorship program designed to improve perceptions of mentorship among new-to-academia nurse faculty. The project was guided by Benner’s Novice to Expert Model and Lewin’s Change Theory and was implemented using the Plan-Do-Study-Act framework. A quantitative pre–post design with a convenience sample (N = 4) was used. Data were collected using the Mentorship Effectiveness Scale, which demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .93). Data analysis included descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Findings indicated generally positive perceptions of mentorship, with slight improvements in encouragement, feedback, and professional guidance; however, these changes were not statistically significant (p > .05). Limitations included a small sample size, which may have affected statistical power. The findings are practical and meaningful, supporting faculty development and easing the transition into academic roles. This project provides an evidence-based, sustainable mentorship model that could improve faculty retention and strengthen nursing education programs.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Porter, Kimberly B., "New Nurse Faculty Mentorship: A Quality Improvement Project" (2026). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 322.
https://arch.astate.edu/dnp-projects/322
