Mentees Becoming Mentors: Shaping the Next Generation of Periop Nurses
By: AORN Staff
Published: 5/24/2023
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Nurses Month: Honoring the Role of Mentors
It’s hard to imagine what could possibly fall outside the comfort zone of Temple Kellermann, DNP, MSN, RN, CNOR. After all, she leads a 375-person periop team that performs more than 33,000 procedures a year.
Temple is the director of surgical services for Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in North Carolina. It’s a role she couldn’t envision holding when she started as a certified nursing assistant 18 years ago.
But with each step in her career, her mentors saw her potential and pushed her outside her comfort zone. Not just to grow her skills, but also to expand her sphere of influence.
One mentor in particular, Cathleen Wheatley, DNP, RN, CENP, sparked Temple’s interest in nursing leadership.
“She has a way of listening and seeing something in you. Making sure you have the information and resources you need to make sure you’re set up for success. She made sure I saw the value in networking with non-perioperative leaders, because we kind of live in our own bubbles,” says Temple.
The lesson for Temple: nursing is integrated across a facility and health system. It’s vital for nurse leaders to have strong working relationships and knowledge everywhere there’s a patient touchpoint.
Temple also says Cathleen nudged her to pursue her Doctor of Nursing degree, an important step in her career path.
Another mentor Temple credits with shaping her career is Cynthia Emory, MD, MBA. Temple credits Dr. Emory for her unique way of elevating the people she’s mentoring. “She makes sure people outside your network know about you and makes them aware of your skills,” Temple says.
She also pushed Temple to apply for a leadership program at Wake Forest School of Medicine.
“She wrote a letter of recommendation, helped me with my application, and I entered the program as the only nurse,” says Temple. “I would never have done this, but again, it’s important to build skills and networks outside your bubble.”
The Benefits of Mentorship
Temple isn’t the only one benefitting from having great mentors. She is passing on what she’s learned and adding her own experience while mentoring.
“Sometimes they just need someone to talk to. (You can) Be a cheerleader. Someone they can go to and vent. It can be more of a support system, especially if they have a situation where they don’t feel comfortable talking with their immediate supervisor,” Temple explains. “For others, I ask them, ‘Have you thought about more education?’ or ‘What are the steps you need to take to continue on a leadership path?’”
Thanking Our Mentors
As we celebrate Nurses Month, AORN wants to express our heartfelt gratitude to all the perioperative nurse mentors who have dedicated their time and energy to help us succeed in our profession.
You are the backbone of our community, and we appreciate your generosity, kindness, and inspiration. You make us proud to be part of this amazing profession.
But gratitude is not enough. We also need to pay it forward. We need to become mentors ourselves and help other perioperative nurses thrive in their profession.
It’s our duty to share our knowledge, passion, and experience with others, as well as learn from them. We’re charged with creating a culture of mentorship that supports the growth and development of all perioperative nurses.
Joining the AORN Member Mentor Program
If you are interested in becoming a mentor or finding a mentor, we encourage you to join the AORN Mentor Program, which matches perioperative nurses with mentors based on their preferences and needs.
The AORN Mentor Program is a free service for AORN members that provides online tools and resources to facilitate the mentoring process. The program also offers webinars, articles, podcasts, and other educational materials on topics related to mentoring.
Applications for the 2023-2024 AORN Member Mentor Program will open in June. If you are interested in becoming a mentor or a mentee, you can fill out an online form to be notified when the application period opens.
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