Keywords
Nursing Education
Competence
Self-Assessment
Narrative Review
How to Cite
Abstract
Introduction. Clinical mentoring plays a crucial role in nursing education, contributing to the development of students’ technical, relational, and critical skills. Mentor competence is a key determinant of the quality of the clinical learning experience. In this perspective, the aim of this work is to synthesize evidence on nurse mentors’ self-assessed competence, with particular focus on strengths, areas for improvement, and effective educational interventions.
Methods. This mini-review was based on the updated literature search (PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus) covering the period 2020–2025. Quantitative and mixed-method studies conducted in real clinical settings, with direct measurement of mentors’ self-perceived competence, were included.
Results. Pedagogical and personal competencies were perceived as strong, whereas organizational skills were less developed. Structured educational programs significantly improved self-assessed competence scores and observed performance. Intercultural competence emerged as a critical area.
Discussion. Improving mentors’ competence requires an integrated approach that combines continuous training, standardized assessment tools, the development of intercultural skills, and organizational support..
References
Aromataris, E., & Riitano, D. (2014). Constructing a search strategy and searching for evidence. A guide to the literature search for a systematic review. The American journal of nursing, 114(5), 49–56. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000446779.99522.f6
Chen, C. M., & Lou, M. F. (2014). The effectiveness and application of mentorship programmes for recently registered nurses: a systematic review. Journal of nursing management, 22(4), 433–442. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12102
Curtis, E., Jones, R., Tipene-Leach, D., Walker, C., Loring, B., Paine, S. J., & Reid, P. (2019). Why cultural safety rather than cultural competency is required to achieve health equity: a literature review and recommended definition. International journal for equity in health, 18(1), 174. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-019-1082-3
Directive 2013/55/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council. (2013). Official Journal of the European Union. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32013L0055
Eva, K. W., & Regehr, G. (2005). Self-assessment in the health professions: a reformulation and research agenda. Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges, 80(10 Suppl), S46–S54. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001888-200510001-00015
Giusti, G. D., & Mazzotta, R. (2025). The Crucial Role of Nursing Tutoring in Developing Nursing Students' Cultural Skills. International nursing review, 72(4), e70122. https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.70122
Griffiths P. (2002). Evidence informing practice: introducing the mini-review. British journal of community nursing, 7(1), 38–39. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjcn.2002.7.1.9435
Gularte-Rinaldo, J., Baumgardner, R., Tilton, T., & Brailoff, V. (2023). Mentorship ReSPeCT Study: A Nurse Mentorship Program's Impact on Transition to Practice and Decision to Remain in Nursing for Newly Graduated Nurses. Nurse leader, 21(2), 262–267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mnl.2022.07.003
Haggerty, C., Holloway, K., & Wilson, D. (2013). How to grow our own: an evaluation of preceptorship in New Zealand graduate nurse programmes. Contemporary nurse, 43(2), 162–171. https://doi.org/10.5172/conu.2013.43.2.162
Hagrass, H. M., Ibrahim, S. A. E., Anany, R. I. E., & El-Gazar, H. E. (2023). Effect of an educational program about mentorship competencies on nurse mentors' performance: a quasi-experimental study. BMC nursing, 22(1), 429. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01597-y
Huybrecht, S., Loeckx, W., Quaeyhaegens, Y., De Tobel, D., & Mistiaen, W. (2011). Mentoring in nursing education: perceived characteristics of mentors and the consequences of mentorship. Nurse education today, 31(3), 274–278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2010.10.022
Jokelainen, M., Jamookeeah, D., Tossavainen, K., & Turunen, H. (2011). Building organizational capacity for effective mentorship of pre-registration nursing students during placement learning: Finnish and British mentors' conceptions. International journal of nursing practice, 17(5), 509–517. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-172X.2011.01964.x
Jokelainen, M., Tossavainen, K., Jamookeeah, D., & Turunen, H. (2013). Seamless and committed collaboration as an essential factor in effective mentorship for nursing students: conceptions of Finnish and British mentors. Nurse education today, 33(5), 437–443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2012.04.017
Kolb, D. A. (2015). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development (2nd ed.). Pearson Education.
Luukkonen, A. L., Kuivila, H., Kaarlela, V., Koskenranta, M., Kaučič, B. M., Riklikiene, O., Vizcaya-Moreno, F., Pérez-Cañaveras, R. M., Filej, B., Oikarainen, A., Kääriäinen, M., & Mikkonen, K. (2023). Mentors' cultural competence at mentoring culturally and linguistically diverse nursing students in clinical practice: An international cross-sectional study. Nurse education in practice, 70, 103658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2023.103658
Mikkonen, K., Tomietto, M., Cicolini, G., Kaucic, B. M., Filej, B., Riklikiene, O., Juskauskiene, E., Vizcaya-Moreno, F., Pérez-Cañaveras, R. M., De Raeve, P., & Kääriäinen, M. (2020). Development and testing of an evidence-based model of mentoring nursing students in clinical practice. Nurse education today, 85, 104272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2019.104272
Mínguez Moreno, I., González de la Cuesta, D., Barrado Narvión, M. J., Arnaldos Esteban, M., & González Cantalejo, M. (2023). Nurse Mentoring: A Scoping Review. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 11(16), 2302. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11162302
Narayanan, G., Busebaia, T. J., Al-Sabbagh, A. S., Awadallah, M. S., Ali, S. I., & Rashwan, Z. I. (2025). Leading future nurses: Do mentors facilitate learning, enhance professional development, and provide psychosocial support? The Open Public Health Journal, 18, e18749445362685. https://doi.org/10.2174/0118749445362685250213063252
Papastavrou, E., Dimitriadou, M., Tsangari, H., & Andreou, C. (2016). Nursing students' satisfaction of the clinical learning environment: a research study. BMC nursing, 15, 44. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-016-0164-4
Pramila-Savukoski, S., Juntunen, J., Tuomikoski, A. M., Kääriäinen, M., Tomietto, M., Kaučič, B. M., Filej, B., Riklikiene, O., Vizcaya-Moreno, M. F., Perez-Cañaveras, R. M., De Raeve, P., & Mikkonen, K. (2020). Mentors' self-assessed competence in mentoring nursing students in clinical practice: A systematic review of quantitative studies. Journal of clinical nursing, 29(5-6), 684–705. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15127
Saarikoski, M., Warne, T., Kaila, P., & Leino-Kilpi, H. (2009). The role of the nurse teacher in clinical practice: an empirical study of Finnish student nurse experiences. Nurse education today, 29(6), 595–600. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2009.01.005
Tuomikoski, A. M., Ruotsalainen, H., Mikkonen, K., Miettunen, J., & Kääriäinen, M. (2018). The competence of nurse mentors in mentoring students in clinical practice - A cross-sectional study. Nurse education today, 71, 78–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2018.09.008
Tuomikoski AM, Ruotsalainen H, Mikkonen K, Miettunen J, Kääriäinen M. Development and psychometric testing of the nursing student mentors' competence instrument (MCI): A cross-sectional study. Nurse Educ Today. 2018 Sep;68:93-99.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2018.05.028
Tuomikoski, A. M., Ruotsalainen, H., Mikkonen, K., Miettunen, J., Juvonen, S., Sivonen, P., & Kääriäinen, M. (2020). How mentoring education affects nurse mentors' competence in mentoring students during clinical practice - A quasi-experimental study'. Scandinavian journal of caring sciences, 34(1), 230–238. https://doi.org/10.1111/scs.12728
Warne, T., Johansson, U. B., Papastavrou, E., Tichelaar, E., Tomietto, M., Van den Bossche, K., Moreno, M. F., & Saarikoski, M. (2010). An exploration of the clinical learning experience of nursing students in nine European countries. Nurse education today, 30(8), 809–815. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2010.03.003
World Health Organization. (2020). State of the world's nursing 2020: investing in education, jobs and leadership. World Health Organization. https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/331677
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2026 Gian Domenico Giusti, Stefano Bambi, Yari Longobucco, Rocco Mazzotta