This document outlines Edgehill University's program for using second-year nursing students as peer mentors for first-year students. It describes the peer mentor role, which involves providing support, guidance, and advice to mentees through at least 4 contacts over the 12-month program. Benefits include enhancing mentors' skills and experience, as well as helping mentees settle in and feel less stressed by having a supportive mentor who has experienced the program. Feedback from mentees has been positive, finding the guidance and reassurance from student mentors with more experience to be very helpful.

1. 2nd Year Students as Peer
Mentors
By Linda Robson
robsonl@edgehill.ac.uk
01695657037

2. What is a peer mentor?
The peer mentor is a second year student who will support and guide first year students . This
has been piloted in the Mental Health field ( April 2013-2014 and September 2013-2014)and is
now being rolled out to all fields of Pre Registration nursing.
You will act as peer mentor to students from the same nursing field as yourself
The ratio of mentor : mentees is dependant on the number of volunteers
The role will last for 12 months

3. What does it involve ?
 Commitment to the role
 active engagement from both mentor and mentee
 Ratio of mentor : mentee
 Befriending, support and advice
 Initial face to face meeting – structure suggested
 Further contacts throughout the 12 months- Minimum 4 contacts
 Sharing of contact details

4. What if I change my mind ?
 You can opt out of this project at any time by contacting your relevant
peer mentor facilitator

5. What do I need to be a peer mentor ?
Skills and values needed :
 Approachability
 High level of communication skills incl engagement and listening skills
 Up to date information
 Know where to sign post to
 Objectivity – provide information
 Commitment to the role
 Time management – consistent contact with your peer mentor throughout
the 12 months
 Self awareness – if unsure ask

6. What support will I receive ?
 Peer mentor handbook
 Support from the Peer Mentor Co-ordinator / Peer Mentor Facilitators
 Queries and questions answered
 Email prompts from Peer Mentor Coordinator throughout the 12 month
period

7. Peer Mentor Facilitators
 Adult- Elizabeth Okeya /Delyth Meirion- Owen
 Learning Disabilities and Nurse/Social Worker – Elaine Simpson
 Mental Health – Jackie Pierce /Linda Robson
 Child and Nurse/Social Worker – David Rootes

8. What are the benefits for me?
 New experience
 Preparation your role as a staff nurse
 Further enhancement of skills needed for nursing
 Certificate for portfolio if you have actively continued in this role
 Include in C V , references etc .
 Share your knowledge and good practice
 Positives in seeing the difference you have made to the new first year
students

9. What are the benefits for the new first
years?
 Sense of belonging
 Help them settle into life at Edge Hill University
 Reduction in stress levels
 Extra/ different level of support
 Pastoral support
 See 2nd years as having lived the experience they are going through
 A friendly face to say hello to if in university at the same time
 Learn from your knowledge and experiences

10. Feedback from mentees
 100% thought this was a good idea
 Main role “support,” “guidance, “
“to have someone with more experience who has been in your position to help
with any queries”
“share experience” “answer questions”
“being able to chat about university”
“someone who has done it before”
“I didn’t need help in a specific area but the reassurance that I could go to my
peer mentor was great”
“a friendly person who was there if I needed them”
( source : the evaluation of the pilot, April 2014)

11. Timeline – Minimum Standards
 End October / beginning November – initial meeting with peer mentees
 Winter - contact with mentee
 Spring –contact with mentee and half way evaluation of peer mentoring
 Early Summer – contact with mentee
–Late Summer - contact with mentee and evaluation of the project
These are the minimum expectations for a peer mentor – you may have more
communications depending on your mentee

12. Topics mentees explored with their
peer mentor
“placement questions”
“clinical skills”
“exams” “assignments”
“general chat on how I was settling in at university”
“general questions about the course”
“what to expect from university and what I need to do to do well”
“general discussion on how I was getting on”
( source – evaluation completed with Mental Health students in the pilot April
2014)

13. Format of initial meeting
 Introduce yourself and your role
 Clarify expectations
 Ask them how their first week at university has gone
 Any worries or concerns
 Any policies they are unsure of
 Have they made contact with their personal tutor
 Can they access blackboard
 Are they aware of support available
 Swap contact details and make it clear when and how you will next make
contact

14. Next steps
 Within the next week Your Peer Mentor Facilitator will recruit volunteers for
the role
 A list of mentor and mentees on blackboard
 Initial face to face meeting to take place
 Future contacts as agreed with peer mentor and mentees
 Peer mentor role formally lasts for 12 months

15. Any questions?