The role of the mentor in organising, managing and leading programmes Essay

The role of the mentor in organising, managing and leading programmes of learning in clinical education - Essay Example Facilitating learning is very important, as its very nature is very complex ranging from different aspects of the body of knowledge. Learning from the behavioral perspective is a changed of behavior; and it is associated with changes inside of a person from cognitive perspective (Brockbank and McGill, 2006). Learning is one of the most important things to acquire in this world. It is essential because it is viewed as the result of how humans adapt to their environment (Murre, 1992). In nursing career, educating others is an essential intervention which also depicts the importance of learning (Bastable, 2008). All of these substantially illustrate why it is important to facilitate learning. Mentors therefore should be able to come up with simple or basic ideas in order to facilitate learning and ensure that there is increase in knowledge of their learners as far as mentoring is concerned. In nursing, mentoring is necessary and the role of mentors is simply as facilitators emphasising learning in an effective and practical way. Adult learning can be well facilitated using experiential learning, which means acquiring substantial knowledge can be appropriately achieved out from somebody’s significant experiences. In fact, one of the most familiar adages puts it, â€Å"Experience teaches us best.† This can be further elaborated from Kolb’s theory of experiential learning. ... In fact, one of the most familiar adages puts it, â€Å"Experience teaches us best.† This can be further elaborated from Kolb’s theory of experiential learning. Illustration 1: Kolb’s cycle of experiential learning (Quinn, 2000). In this theory, Kolb’s emphasised four generic adaptive abilities to reach effective learning and these involve concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation (Quinn, 2000). It is therefore the role of mentors to effectively organise activities that will allow full immersion of their students into concrete and fresh experiences. Along the way, mentors have to manage important activities that are crucial in the creation of learning experiences. It is not just enough to organise activities, but leading and management is necessary because everything that the mentors do should be considered a guiding path for students to effectively take in order to facilitate learning at a highest maximum level as possible. Students on the other hand must be able to learn from their experiences by reflecting on them. Furthermore, it is also important for them to come up with significant concepts out from their personal observations on their experiences. Finally they have to apply whatever theories they have learned. All of these are important things that students must do while their mentors are facilitating for their learning (Quinn, 2000). It is in line with these that regarding their ability to facilitate learning, mentors must be able to support learning in practice, they have to demonstrate effective time management and leadership skills, and should be able to organise students’ clinical experience (Quinn, 2000). Another