UCSF is one of the leading academic facilities in America in learning and understanding medicine. For this reason, it is also the leading hospitals that sees some of the most acutely ill patients.

As a registered nurse on a busy Labor and Delivery floor at UCSF, we see plenty of brand new nurses come on to the unit. Some of which will take a position as a new graduate RN on the unit. As many well seasoned nurses may recall, the pressure and stress that is percieved is very high and sometimes can lead to early burn-out in some. A nurse mentor can truly be a way to guide and outlet a new graduate RN to reduce this elevated stress and reduce the rate of burnout.

This idea would place seasoned RNs with new graduate RNs to meet with on a monthly basis (in addition to casual encounters on the unit) to discuss the precepting process and events that have occured during the new graduate nurse's growing experience. The nurse mentor will act as a conduit to the unit in which it will be easier for the new graduate to meet the existing nurses and a way for the new graduate to discuss issues and problems they might have encountered in their learning process.

Nurse mentors and mentees can meet in a quarterly meeting to discuss evidence based practice regarding the nurse mentor process such as: stress relief exercises and practices, nuse litigation and appropriate charting, communication styles and practices, provider miscommunication and conflicts, and many other possible ideas.

This idea would greatly benefit the nurse new and old and would build comradery and communication amoung nursing staff. It would also reduce burnout and increase morale.