From Mentorship to Influence: How Mentorship Quality Shapes Voice, Reflectiveness, and Power Among Nursing Faculty
Heather M. Englund, Brent MacWilliamsBackground:
Mentorship supports faculty development and retention in nursing education; yet its effects are inconsistent and often evaluated using global outcomes, limiting the understanding of its influence on specific academic experiences.
Purpose:
To examine associations between mentorship and multidimensional marginalization among nursing faculty, focusing on voice, power, and reflectiveness, and to evaluate mentorship quality and mechanisms.
Methods:
A cross-sectional, correlational study was conducted with a national sample of nursing faculty (N = 1430). Marginalization was measured using the Englund Marginality Index. Mentorship was assessed by presence and perceived quality. Multivariable regression and mediation analyses were performed.
Results:
Mentorship was associated with lower marginalization across domains. However, low-quality mentorship was linked to higher marginalization than no mentorship. Effects were strongest for power. Reflectiveness partially mediated the relationship between mentorship and voice.
Conclusions:
Mentorship effectiveness depends on quality, influencing whether it mitigates or reinforces inequities.