Nursing clinical coaching and mentorship programs launched at Peter Munk Cardiac Centre

UHN’s Peter Munk Cardiac Centre (PMCC) has launched a new professional development program for nurses.

Known as the PMCC Nursing Clinical Coaching & Mentorship Program, it will offer two professional development streams for nursing professionals.

“Professional development programs like coaching and mentorship have been shown to retain nurses by improving their clinical skills, job satisfaction, well-being and confidence,” says Pam Hubley, UHN Vice President & Chief Nurse Executive and co-sponsor of this initiative. “It is important to offer professional development programs to nurses to ensure workforce stability, work-life balance and the ability to provide high-quality patient care.”

The program’s two professional development streams for nurses are:

Clinical coaching – Frontline nurses with at least three years of experience on their unit of practice will offer clinical coaching at the point of care to nurses with less than two years of experience. The aim is to enhance the skill and knowledge development of those being coached, who include new graduates, internationally educated nurses, and those transitioning to a new practice environment.

Mentorship – Frontline nurses with more than three years of experience on their unit of practice, will be paired with nursing professionals in leadership roles for one-on-one mentorship while engaging in self-directed learning or professional development activities. The aim of this mentoring relationship is to support the personal and professional development goals of nurses being mentored.

​The PMCC Nursing Clinical Coaching & Mentorship Program is part of the response to internal well-being surveys conducted by the PMCC revealing a high level of burnout and distress among health care workers.

“Addressing clinician burnout requires a comprehensive examination of the work environment to pinpoint stressors,” says Ahlexxi Jelen, PMCC Manager of Strategy & Special Projects and Program Lead. “Our research at the PMCC showed that staffing shortages, perceptions of unfair treatment, impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on personal and professional life, and a lack of time to engage in professional development opportunities contributed to burnout among nurses.

“By collaborating with our staff to co-create initiatives, such as the PMCC Nursing Clinical Coaching and Mentorship program, we not only aim to enhance their experience at work but also to prioritize their well-being.”

Barry Rubin, PMCC Medical Director and co-sponsor of this initiative, added: “Enabling nurses at every career stage, especially those entering the profession, through coaching and mentorship initiatives, will create a positive work environment that promotes continuous career development of nurses.”

To learn more about the PMCC’s ongoing efforts to improve clinician well-being, explore two recent studies from UHN researchers: One published in BMC Health Services Research and another in BMJ Open.