Resource: Your UNM-G Mentors (students helping students)_

The primary purpose of the Nursing Student Mentor Team is to act as an unofficial guide for UNM-G Nursing Program’s newer students for the ongoing development of the learner-centered Nursing Program at UNM-Gallup with the goal of decreasing nursing student attrition.

This semester's mentors

Please see your program specialist for a list of this semester's mentors. You may also click on "groups" in your "myUNM" -- the University of New Mexico main campus student portal site. Using your login name and password for your "myUNM" you can log in to the nursing program-dedicated mentor website from the "groups" icon and click on "mentors". If you need assistance, please see the program specialist.

Some questions and answers about mentors

Look below for the most frequently asked questions about UNM-G nursing program's student-to-student mentors

Question 1: What is the overall purpose of mentors?

• The primary purpose of the Nursing Student Mentor Team is to act as an unofficial guide for UNM-G Nursing Program’s newer students for the ongoing development of the learner-centered Nursing Program at UNM-Gallup with the goal of decreasing nursing student attrition.

Question 2: What do they do?

MAKE YOU FEEL WELCOME:

• Establish collegial relationships with other UNM-G nursing students at semesters lower than the mentor’s current semester.

GIVE YOU ADVICE IF YOU NEED IT:

• Acclimate new students, offering practical advice to newer nursing students about retention strategies.

BE AVAILABLE FOR YOUR QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS:

• Provide a communication channel complete with available times and dates to newer nursing students in order that the Mentors may be available for newer students’ questions and concerns about nursing school issues or other issues that the new students deem might be hindering their retention in nursing school.

Question 3: What are some topics that they provide information about?

• Establishing a schedule for nursing school and/or time management
• Time blocking strategies
• Time- and money-saving homemaking strategies
• School financing strategies that worked for the Mentor such as UNM-G-approved student loans, Pell grants, available nursing scholarships and loan-for-service, with referrals to appropriate on-campus financial aid personnel and/or assistance with review of appropriate information on the web.
• Critical thinking strategies
• Child management strategies to garner more quality study time
• The observation of study groups for the purpose of providing feedback how better to conduct the group, as well as the use of and etiquette for study groups
• How to identify important information within the text and PowerPoints
• How to create self-exam test questions from reading material or PowerPoints
• How to study and prepare for nursing school classes and exams
• Offer known information about available social services that could assist the student being mentored either financially or with childcare or other similarly problematic situations as appropriate
• Encourage those being mentored to “give back” the assistance they’ve received by serving as Mentors themselves the following semester(s)

Question 4: Are there things they don't do for new students?

Yes - here's a list of what they have decided among themselves not to do for you:

• Loan money to those being mentored or sign promissory notes of any kind for them or provide housing or food funding or gas money or books or other resources for those being mentored
• Provide information about tests or specific test questions asked on any exams
• Be a “dumping ground” for disgruntled students
• Be called at any time day or night except during the appropriate hours established by the Mentor Team member
• Give unsolicited and unwanted or unwarranted advice to or pressure any student to do anything a certain way
• Pressure those being mentored to join any civic or campus organization or religious group or student movements of any kind
• Fill out any paperwork or make phone calls of any kind for or on behalf of the student being mentored
• Direct the student to act in a dishonest manner in any respect
• Advise the student being mentored about what to do in clinicals
• Speak ill of any class, class member, instructor or university authority to those being mentored
• “Re-teach” class material.  The Mentor may explain course content in the context of how the mentor learned the material or learned to retain the material for additional clarification or re-thinking; however, the Mentor may not be expected to lecture on theory or clinical    materials.  If the student receiving mentoring does not show a fair grasp of the material, the Mentor needs to refer students to the faculty member about course material.
• Other as appropriately identified

Question 5: How can I become a mentor after my first semester?

At the END of each semester, the specific time and/or day to be determined by the appropriate faculty, the following class’s faculty members will allow class time for students to sign-up on the official Mentor Form for the next semester’s Mentor Team from the following classes:  1st semester:  Fundamentals;  2nd semester:  MedSurg. I class; 3rd semester: MedSurg. II. So, you can expect to sign up for mentoring at the end of your first semester in your fundamentals class. Or, if you'd like you be a mentor now, you may fill out this form and give it either to your faculty member or the nursing program specialist.

©University of New Mexico, Gallup Branch, 2007-2010