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To map factors influencing nurses' engagement in clinical mentorship in nursing education and explore their interactions using network analysis.
Observational cross-sectional study employing an online survey from July 2024 to May 2025.
A total of 261 clinical mentors from healthcare institutions in Catalonia, Spain, completed the survey. Key variables included engagement in clinical mentorship (implication, motivation, satisfaction, compromise), perceived obstacles, ward manager support, emotional intelligence, emotional wellbeing, working and employment conditions. Data were analysed using regularized partial correlation network analyses. Centrality indices were calculated to determine the most influential variables within the network structure.
Motivation, ward manager support, and emotional intelligence emerged as the most central, interconnected drivers of engagement. Motivation showed positive associations with commitment and implication in the mentoring role and a negative association with perceived obstacles. Ward manager support was linked to emotional wellbeing and peer support, reflecting the importance of psychosocial resources. Emotional intelligence appeared to support motivation, work control, and satisfaction with the mentoring role. In contrast, professional experience and employment conditions showed limited influence within the network.
This study provides a comprehensive understanding of how multiple factors interact to shape nurses' engagement in clinical mentorship. Motivation, ward manager support, and emotional intelligence represent key leverage points for strengthening mentorship practices.
Sustainable, high-quality clinical practicums require supportive work environments that recognize and foster mentors' intrinsic motivation, leadership support, and emotional skills.
Clinical mentors are essential to student learning, and so is their engagement in the mentoring role. This study is the first to apply network analysis to this process, revealing that motivation, emotional intelligence, and ward manager support are central to engagement, while professional experience and employment conditions are less relevant. These findings can guide institutional strategies to promote supportive and nurturing clinical learning environments.
The manuscript is based on the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES).
This study did not include patient or public involvement in its design, conduct, or reporting.
The clinical practicum is a critical component of nursing education. In Spain, it is currently facing systemic challenges that compromise its quality and sustainability. A persistent nursing shortage, combined with increasing pressure on healthcare systems and a growing number of students intended to address this gap, is adding strain to clinical learning environments, which may compromise the capacity of nurses to provide adequate supervision and meaningful learning experiences for nursing students. This not only diminishes the quality of the training experiences, but also negatively affects the well-being of both students and nurses, further worsening the situation. This protocol outlines a study aimed at conducting an in-depth analysis of the current challenges affecting the clinical practicum and proposing a new model that effectively addresses them, with significant potential for adaptation and implementation across different health education fields and geographical locations.
The study will employ a sequential mixed-methods design comprising two integrated phases. In phase I, quantitative, qualitative and scoping review methodologies will be combined to identify current challenges and opportunities. Quantitative data will be obtained by administering questionnaires to nursing students and clinical mentors (CMs) tutoring them in Catalonia, examining potential barriers and facilitators to their mentoring role. Data will be analysed through descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data will emerge from semistructured interviews with CMs and nurse coordinators, as well as from a visual elicitation technique, the ‘Emojional’ Calendar, conducted with students to understand their clinical practicum experiences. These will be analysed through an inductive thematic analysis approach. The scoping review, following the Arksey and O’Malley framework, will identify best practices in clinical practicums in nursing and other health studies globally. Phase II will involve a three-round qualitative Delphi study in which all preceding results will be presented to stakeholders and decision makers in order to redesign the clinical practicum model.
Ethical approval for this study was obtained from Hospital del Mar Clinical Research Ethics Committee (Ref #2023/11123). Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations, as well as via strategic actions (forums and meetings with healthcare managers, deans and policymakers) and general outreach (talks, social media and websites) targeted at professionals, students and the public.
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