Do you remember the nervousness you felt doing your first physical assessment? That one test you had to pass or possibly drop out of the nursing program? What about anxiety before caring for your first patient? Did you wonder how you’d ever care for people when you felt tongue-tied just speaking to them? Excitement combined with fear are overwhelming emotions that a student entering nursing school experiences. With time, I discovered that students can get by, with a little help from their friends.

When I started my first clinical experience in a nursing home, I had no idea what to expect. Though my professors prepared me with physical assessment skills and basic nursing procedures, I feared the unexpected and was consumed by the feeling that I would do something wrong. Little did I know that all the other students felt the same way. It wasn’t until later into the nursing program at William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ, that I realized that other students were searching for someone to share their fears with. They wanted a peer to relate to their experiences and empathize.

Peer mentorship is a form of student-to-student support that can be used to maximize student retention in nursing programs. Researchers say that the ultimate purpose of the mentoring relationship is to help the mentored individual grow and move to a higher level of performance, develop insights and confidence, and socialize into a new environment. Peer mentors are student role models who have found academic success. They are upperclassmen paired with underclassmen in a mentoring relationship.

Mentorship programs help students in areas of clinical weakness and provide emotional support during the initial adjustment to nursing school. Peer mentors are available to discuss issues in nursing, student responses to clinical experiences, and questions related to professional role development. They allocate specific times throughout the semester to meet with their designated student. During these meetings, students can discuss current problems or obtain additional tutoring in needed areas.

In the Student Success Program at William Paterson University School of Nursing, tutors are qualified upperclassmen who demonstrate strength within the nursing curriculum. Underclassmen are invited to attend or are referred by advisors for extra help throughout the semester. Although most students had questions pertaining to academics, many were looking for someone to reassure them that they would make it through the nursing program. As this scenario became more common, I realized my title had changed from tutor to mentor. As a peer mentor, I played a vital role in the retention of nursing students. I not only facilitated learning but learned from my peers. Peer mentorship programs promote both professional development and leadership abilities.

As the 2001-2002 New Jersey Nursing Students president, I experienced another example of peer mentorship. As part of the transition for the NJNS Executive Board, I was mentored by my student predecessor throughout my term. Traditionally, this mentor assumes the role of presidential advisor. When I needed advice, guidance, or just a listening ear, my mentor was there to help me transition to a successful leadership role.

Peer mentorship mimics preceptorship program design. Both assist in areas of clinical weakness and provide emotional support during an adjustment period. As preceptorship programs for new nurses become more popular and successful, so should peer mentorship for student nurses. Both emphasize collaboration of peers and educate nurses and students on the behaviors expected among colleagues.

The practice of peer mentorship needs further exploration within nursing schools. I have personally experienced the benefits of these programs. I have seen, first hand, the impact they have on nursing student achievement and can attest to their effectiveness. Learning to help each other is the first step to a successful nursing career. Peer mentorship programs afford students the opportunity to take that step.

Sarah Barba, who graduated from William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ, in 2002, has accepted a staff nurse position at Morristown Memorial Hospital, Morristown, NJ.