In-depth Knowledge of the Role of the Clinical Mentor.

OBJECTIVES: This work sought to unveil the meaning expressed by clinical nurses by being mentors for students from the nursing internship level.
METHODS: Phenomenological research. In-depth interviews were conducted with nine clinical nurses from a hospital in Santiago de Chile, who participate as mentors of nursing students in their last stage of university formation.
RESULTS: Four comprehensive categories were obtained with their respective units of meaning by nursing: 1) vocation and gratification, 2) personal and professional challenge, 3) big responsibility, and 4) transmission of experience.
CONCLUSIONS: Clinical mentorship is a relevant experience in the professional lives of nurses, which implies overcoming challenges, self-training, and delivering the best of oneself, for the purpose of training future professionals prepared to practice nursing integrally. Copyright© by the Universidad de Antioquia.