National mentoring pilot program for nursing in general practice

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The Australian General Practice Network together with the Australian Mentor Centre conducted an eighteen month pilot program, to trial structured mentoring as a support function for nurses in general practice. The pilot program was funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.

The pilot aims were to provide general practice nurses across Australia with an opportunity to engage in structured mentoring relationships thereby contributing to their professional development in the primary care setting. Practice nurse program officers and practice nurses were eligible to be involved in the Pilot.

Program objectives

The objectives of the National Mentoring Pilot Program for Nurses in General Practice were to:

Trial a national approach to the inclusion of structured mentoring as a support function for practice nurses
Build the capacity of general practice nurses to provide and receive mentoring
Build the capacity of the Network to provide a sustainable mentoring program for nurses in general practice
Develop a bank of mentoring related resources for ongoing use
Develop a pool of practice nurses and division program officers across Australia with education and experience in mentoring
Determine the impact mentoring can have to support the recruitment, retention and ongoing professional development of practice nurses
Determine the functions and activities key stakeholders have in supporting mentoring for practice nurses
Present the results of the pilot at an appropriate national forum.

The National Mentoring pilot has been evaluated and recommendations for future mentoring support for practice nurses has been submitted to the Department of Health and Ageing.