AONE National Mentorship Program Garners Participants, Uses Online Platform
The American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) began its national Leader2Leader Mentorship Program last year and to date more than 300 nurse leaders have participated. The program began after nearly 60% of participants in the 2012 AONE Needs Assessment indicated interest in a mentorship program, and such a program also was identified as a need by AONE’s 2013 Early Careerist Task Force. The program was released to the entire membership after a 30-person Beta group of mentors and mentees tested the program early in 2014.
An AONE members-only benefit, the program has a sophisticated online platform with many tools designed to tailor the experience for the mentee. Mentees begin by filling out a profile, which they can then match against potential mentors when they are looking for specific nursing titles, years of experience and areas of expertise, among other factors. The platform also will give mentees a percentage match number for each mentor they are considering, based on such factors. After a mentee selects a mentor or mentors, an automated email is sent to the potential mentor, and if a mentor accepts, the mentee receives an email inviting him or her to initiate the relationship.
Once a mentor and mentee have been matched, they begin a structured, six-month engagement directing the mentee to establish goals and make progress towards them. Mentors and mentees meet in whatever format they choose, through emails, phone calls, or face-to-face, enabled by technology. The mentorship moves through five phases, with each phase having its own actions, deliverables and resources. For instance, in the Prerequisite phase, mentors and mentees are prompted to review each other’s profiles and resumes, and sign a mentor/mentee partnership agreement. Automated emails are sent during each of the five phases of the mentorship program to encourage both partners to move towards the next step.
During the engagement, mentee are asked to formalize SMART goals, with the acronym describing objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timebound.The program also includes supports, such as handbooks for mentors and mentees, and articles about goal-setting and staying motivated. When the engagement has concluded, pairs have the option of continuing to communicate. One of the Leader2Leader mentees, who wrote about her experience in AONE’s member newsletter, Voice of Nursing Leadership, noted that her mentor has had a substantial impact on her professional growth. Although the structured engagement lasts only six months, the mentee hoped to stay in contact with her mentor throughout her career.
For more information about the AONE mentorship program, visit