MAKAYLA KIRKPATRICK: We had so much to talk about.
And he also works at an ICU in Chippenham,
so we had just had so much to talk about.
I feel I could relate to him.
He knew exactly what I was going through.
NELLY TAYLOR-CROMARTIE: We come from different nursing
backgrounds, different cultural backgrounds, everything.
It was nice to learn from someone that's
been in a class, that's done it, and that's able to support you.
CRAIG JEFFERSON: More than anything,
it's emphasized the real importance
as a nurse with only a year and a half in experience,
I'm now going to be transitioning
to the role of mentor as a natural progression
in my own professional development,
that I understand the relevance and importance of what it means
to be a mentor and how to do that on my own unit
with my co-workers.
CRYSTAL TOLL: So they're coming into this program already
overwhelmed with personal life, not knowing UVA,
feeling a little bit of an imposter syndrome
because they're here at UVA, trying to look ahead.
They're nurses.
We want to see the big picture of everything.
It's really hard for them to take day-by-day.
There's just a lot of stress and a lot
of anxiety about the unknown.
That was the whole brilliant idea
was we're going to make it for you.
We're going to make a mentorship program for you.
And we're going to give you the time by infusing it
into the curriculum.
So for the new graduates, they're
looking more about the professional level.
This is what I'm experiencing in the workplace,
and this is how it's having an impact on me.
You've already been there and done that.
Now they get advice.
Those that are overwhelmed with trying
to figure out how to organize, adding this
to their already chaotic life.
The third population are those that
are just really freaking out.
They get a grade on something that doesn't make them happy,
or an assignment looks overwhelming
and they just start freaking out and getting angry and mad.
And they want to write nasty grams to the professors.
They don't.
We've had this happen a couple of times.
They stop their mentors, this is what the assignment is about.
You're going to be OK.
This grade is because of this.
So they become less blameful and angry about the academic stuff
and more accountable about the academic stuff and yet
and positive about it.
JEANNIE WANGLER: I have seen the biggest difference
with the mentorship program.
The second year students are loving being mentors
and helping those who are first years.
The first years have told me how invaluable this is for them.
They love that they have a point of contact who has already
taken the same classes, who is already a working adult, who
can really help encourage them.
NELLY TAYLOR-CROMARTIE: The nurse
helping me manage the workload, giving me
tips and tricks on how to deescalate stress
and manage the classes because she had been through it ways
that we would care for people.
It went far past than just the school stuff.
We talked about our nursing practice and just our lives
as nurses and the choices that got us there.
MAKAYLA KIRKPATRICK: One time, I told him
how I was having problems with vent settings and ICU.
And like in the next meeting, he went
through an hour just talking about vent settings with me.
It was just like the most amazing thing.
And I'm really really, really grateful to have
that mentorship.
MELISSA NECK: We all have our moments where
we're kind of questioning ourselves and doubting
ourselves and just to reach out to someone and say, hey,
did you experience this?
Is this something that you went through?
And just for that reassurance.
CRAIG JEFFERSON: It was fun to have somebody
that I could really have a real conversation, ask
very like candidly, what did you think of the program?
What did you do to prepare yourself for this class?
Did you like that professor?
CRYSTAL TOLL: My grandfather said--
he was a professor-- he said, if you
don't learn something every day, you're not paying attention.
But if you don't share what you learn, it has no value.
They have learned more than they think they have
because we're experiential.
And when you're here and it's like assignment, assignment,
assignment, assignment, we don't always
have that ability to put it into action right away
and know that we've learned something.
So that I think coming into the mentorship
program gave them the opportunity to be the expert
or at least find their way as one.
So it's fun to see them be able to focus,
to relax, to enjoy, to chill out in the classroom
and just have fun because they know
it really is going to be OK.
The shoes not going to fall off the foot.
The floor is not going to drop out from underneath them.
Nothing bad is going to happen to them,
so they trust the process.
And that's a lot of fun because now we can have more fun.