Peer Mentoring in Nursing Education
Summary
Peer mentoring has become an integral component of contemporary nursing education, pairing more experienced students with less experienced peers to foster academic learning, clinical skill development and psychosocial support. This model promotes the integration of theoretical knowledge into practice by enabling mentees to observe clinical decision-making in real-world settings, while mentors reinforce their own competencies through teaching and reflection. Globally, peer mentoring addresses challenges such as student attrition, workforce shortages and the transition stress novice nurses face. Key success factors include clear role definitions, structured training for mentors, ongoing supervisory support and regular programme evaluation. When effectively implemented, peer mentoring enhances confidence, clinical reasoning, professional identity formation and retention, thereby contributing to improved patient care and workforce resilience.
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Peer Mentoring in Nursing Education publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in peer mentoring in nursing education across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Peer mentoring: An educational approach in which students with greater experience guide and support less experienced peers in both academic and clinical domains.
Mentor: A more experienced individual who provides instruction, feedback and role modelling to facilitate the mentee’s learning and professional growth.
Mentee: A less experienced learner who receives guidance and support from a mentor to develop skills, knowledge and confidence.
Digital mentoring: A modality of peer mentoring conducted through online platforms, requiring structured organisation and clear communication protocols to maintain engagement and effective learning.
Theory-practice gap: The disconnect between academic coursework and clinical application, which peer mentoring seeks to bridge by integrating practical experiences with theoretical understanding.
References
- Educating the nurses of tomorrow: exploring first-year nursing students’ reflections on a one-week senior peer-mentor supervised inspiration practice in nursing homes. BMC Nursing (2024).
- Digital peer mentoring in higher education: Results from a qualitative study involving digital part-time nursing students. Heliyon (2025).
- Caught in the Middle—Experiences of Student Peer Mentors in Nursing Education: A Qualitative Study. Education Sciences (2023).
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