A Journey Through Wonderland: A Novice, Her Mentor, Tea Parties, and Tenure.

When novice nurse educators cross over into the academic threshold, they enter into a state of culture shock. The tenets of teaching, research, and service combined with the expectations of mastering clinical and academic competencies can overwhelm new nurse educators. A successful synergistic mentor-mentee relationship is essential for a positive transition to the educator role. This lighthearted adventure of Alice entering Wonderland University is intended to provide a humorous simile for both new nurse educators and tenured faculty. It is also the intent of the authors to let new nurse educators know that they are not alone in their frustration during the acclimation process to the multitude of role changes they are expected to master.