Nursing postgraduate students′ mentoring relationship and the related factors impact on its quality

doi:10.3760/cma.j.cn115259-20250507-00513

Abstract

Abstract: Objective To understand the current status of the mentoring relationship and the factors influencing its quality among nursing graduate students in China. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 437 nursing graduate students from 46 universities across China from May to July 2025, utilizing validated scales: graduate nursing student mentoring relationship expectations scale, positive mentoring experiences scale, negative mentoring experiences scale, mental health continuum scale short form, innovative behavior scale, and quality of mentoring relationships scale. Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA and multiple linear regression were performed on data from 437 valid responses. Results The mean item score of the quality of mentoring relationship scale was 3.68±0.86. The mean item score of the positive mentoring experiences scale was 3.73±0.84, and the mean item score of the negative mentoring experiences scale was 2.24±0.70. The mean item score of the mental health continuum scale was 2.43±1.01, the mean item score of the innovative behavior scale was 3.54±0.73. And the mean item score of the graduate nursing student mentoring relationship expectations scale was 4.44±0.55. Negative mentoring experiences negatively influenced mentorship quality (β=-0.304, P<0.05), positive mentoring experiences, innovation behavior, psychological resilience and communication initiative positively influenced mentorship quality (β=0.090~0.430, all P<0.05). Mentors′ positive and negative mentoring experiences, students′ positive psychology and innovative behavior, and proactive communication between both parties significantly influenced the quality of the mentoring relationship, explaining 70.5% of the variance in the dependent variable. Conclusions The quality of the mentoring relationship among nursing graduate students in China is at an above-average level. Mentors′ guidance experiences, students′ innovative behavior, students′ positive psychology, and proactive communication between both parties are external and individual factors influencing the quality of the mentoring relationship. Improving the mentoring relationship to promote high-level talent cultivation requires attention to the interactive experiences within the relationship and leveraging the positive guidance of mentors. Simultaneously, emphasis should be placed on cultivating students′ positive psychology and fully stimulating their proactive communication to ensure efficient collaboration between mentors and students, thereby advancing the high-quality development of the nursing discipline.

Key words: Nursing, Mentorship, Graduate education, Influencing factors, Analysis

CLC Number:

R-05

Xu Yanxue, Niu Yanping, Wang Kebing, Sun Yuanyuan, Liang Minyu. Nursing postgraduate students′ mentoring relationship and the related factors impact on its quality[J]. Chinese Journal of Medical Education, 2026, 46(9): 704-710, DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.cn115259-20250507-00513.

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