Back to Journals » Journal of Healthcare Leadership » Volume 2

Mentorship: the heart and soul of health care leadership

Authors Hawkins J, Fontenot HB

Published 26 April 2010 Volume 2010:2 Pages 31—34

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/JHL.S7863

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 2



Joellen W Hawkins1, Holly B Fontenot2

1William F Connell School of Nursing, Boston College, Auburndale, MA, USA; 2William F Connell School of Nursing, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA

Abstract: The key to the development of leaders for the health care professions is mentoring. Both leaders and mentors need to develop their own self-knowledge, strategic visions for their own careers, engage in risk-taking, express creativity through all aspects of their lives, feel inspired and inspire others. Communication is central to a positive mentoring relationship and a successful role in a health care leadership position. Thus, when neophyte health care leaders have the opportunity to be mentored, the development of good communication skills will benefit them in their future leadership positions. An important gift health care leaders can give to their professions is to serve as mentors for those who will lead health care organizations and institutions into the next decades. In this article, the authors will discuss the mentoring role integral to assuming leadership roles and present a number of models for mentoring programs in the health care professions.

Keywords: mentor, mentee, mentoring programs

Creative Commons License © 2010 The Author(s). This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License. By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.