Perceptions of undergraduate nursing students on peer mentorship training at University of Fort Hare, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of  undergraduate nursing students regarding peer mentorship training at the university of Fort Hare, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. A qualitative design involving 49 purposively selected student nurses participated in the study. A structured interview was used to solicit information regarding the perceptions of the undergraduate student nurses concerning peer  mentorship training. Audiotape recording was used for data collection and responses were transcribed verbatim. The findings indicated that peer mentorship training develop confidence, good role modelling, leadership, improved interpersonal relationships and problem solving skills of mentors and their mentees. The peer mentors felt a sense of belonging to the university community and admitted that the mentorship training boosted their self-esteem. It is concluded that a student mentor training is  fundamental to quality of learning experiences for first year undergraduate students. As such, future studies should consider mentees’ perceptions in designing future peer mentorship programme in the university.

Keywords: Perceptions, peer mentor training, undergraduate nursing students, mentors.