Mentoring has become a fashionable concept in business and popular magazines. Morton-Cooper and Palmer (2000, p. 36) remark that ‘everyone has a mentor or is beginning to want one’ and present among others the following origin: "The term ‘mentor’ is derived from the Classics, as identified in Homer’s Odyssey where Mentor, the trusted son of Alimus, was appointed by Ulysses to be tutor-advisor to his son, Telemachus, and guardian of his estate while he was away fighting the Trojan wars. Mentor became more than guardian, teacher and advisor as he had considerable influence and personal responsibility for the development of the young Telemachus".
Mentoring is regarded as an exciting, yet complex phenomenon (Morton-Cooper & Palmer, 2000). It either comes about spontaneously (classical) or is artificially contrived (contract- and pseudo-mentoring) in order to benefit individuals within a sharing partnership. Mentoring enables and cultivates, it empowers the mentee/protégé within the work environment. Barnum (1997) declares simply that there is not enough money for mentors to get paid. Mentoring is a voluntary service from the goodness of the mentor’s heart. The mentor’s reward is a sense of pride in one’s accomplishment. Malick and Stumph (1998) point out that mentoring has a long history in management development and then argue that the notion of preceptor-participant relationship might be less threatening.
Dube (2004) reports that the concept preceptorship originated in the late sixties and early seventies and defines it as professional or competent senior person within an organisational unit that undertakes one-to-one training of newly qualified members of staff or preceptees. She further reports that research reveals the conviction that preceptors instil confidence in preceptees and empower them. Barnum (1997, p. 8) states in this regard that precepting gives the new entrant a “change to be the role, to internalise the role … new roles, like new robes, have to be worn a while before they fit comfortably”. She concludes that “roles are not taught, but caught”. Morton-Cooper and Palmer (2000) point out the transitional role and collegial relationship. However, Flynn (1997) asserts that for a preceptor programme to be effective, it need to be carefully planned, it does not automatically happen. Dube (2004) also cautions that the effectiveness of clinical accompaniment is reduced if the preceptor: preceptee ratio is increased. She points out that preceptors are faced al the time with the challenge of balancing their workload, within the service unit, with the needs of their preceptees.
Barnum, B.S. 1997. Precepting, not mentoring or teaching: vive la difference. In Flynn, J.P. (ed.). 1997. The role of the preceptor, a guide for nurse educator and clinicians. New York: Springer.
Dube, A. 2004. The role of the preceptor in selected clinical nursing practice settings in Botswana. MA (Health Studies) dissertation, University of South Africa (Unisa), Pretoria. Retrieved from Internet on 13 March 2007, from http://oasis.unisa.ac.za/search/adube+A/adube+a/1,4,6,B/l856~2236762&FF=&1,0,,1,0
Flynn, J.P. (ed.). 1997. The role of the preceptor, a guide for nurse educator and clinicians. New York: Springer.
Mailick, S. & Stumpf, S.A. 1998. Learning theory in the practice of management development. Westport, Connecticut: Quurum.
Morton-Cooper, A. & Palmer, A. 2000. Mentoring, preceptorship and clinical supervision: a guide to professional roles in clinical practice. 2nd edition. London: Blackwell Science.