TITLE:
Perceived Benefit, Satisfaction, Burnout, and Retention Intent Following a Structured ICU Mentorship Program for New Graduate Nurses: A Descriptive Program Evaluation
AUTHORS:
Margaret J. Schenk
KEYWORDS:
Mentorship, Workforce Retention, Professional Development, Critical Care Nursing, Retention Intent, Burnout
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Nursing,
Vol.16 No.10,
October
27,
2026
ABSTRACT: Background: Transitioning from nursing education to independent intensive care unit (ICU) practice can be challenging for newly graduated nurses. Nurses starting their careers within ICUs frequently experience stress, emotional exhaustion, and transition-to-practice challenges that contribute to burnout and workforce attrition. Structured mentorship may provide additional professional and emotional support during this transition. Methods: We instituted a mentorship program and subsequently conducted a post-program descriptive survey of a structured ICU mentorship program at a single academic medical center from March 2025 to May 2026. Newly graduated ICU nurses were paired with experienced ICU nurse mentors and participated in monthly mentor-mentee meetings for 6 - 12 months using a structured digital platform. Post-program electronic surveys were voluntarily completed by mentees and mentors. Outcomes were summarized descriptively. Results: We enrolled 24 participants (12 mentors and 12 mentees) in the mentorship program. Twelve mentors and 11 mentees responded to the post program survey. Among mentees, 5/11 (45%) selected a rating of 4 - 5 on a 5-point scale resulting in a high perceived benefit of mentorship; 8/11 (73%) selected a benefit rating of 3 - 5. All mentees (11/11, 100%) reported intent to continue practicing as an ICU RN after their first year. Among mentors, 11/12 (92%) reported increased satisfaction in their work as a bedside nurse, and 10/12 (83%) reported intent to continue practicing as an ICU RN for the next 1+ years. Participant perceptions following program participation were positive for both mentors and mentees with regard to burnout measures and retention outcomes. Conclusions: In this small, single-center program evaluation, participants reported perceived benefit, satisfaction, and intent to remain in ICU nursing following participation in a structured mentorship program. Expansion of the program has occurred hospital wide. These findings are positive, but warrant confirmation in larger studies using validated measures and longitudinal retention outcomes.