Implementation and preliminary evaluation of a nursing PhD constellation mentorship model

Given an 8.3% decline in nursing PhD enrollments between 2013 and 2018 and persistent nursing faculty vacancies nationwide, training the next generation of PhD-prepared nurse faculty remains a priority for the nursing profession. High quality nursing PhD mentorship is linked to improved career development and student retention, yet the traditional faculty-student dyad often does not meet all student needs due to multiple factors including faculty time constraints. The purpose of this paper was to describe the initiation of a new, student-led constellation mentorship program that involves one-on-one peer mentorship and inter-cohort mentorship via “Partnerships for Development.” We surveyed students on their experiences after initial program implementation. We summarize our experiences implementing the program, provide programmatic evaluation, and make recommendations for other nursing PhD programs interested in implementing a similar mentorship model. A constellation model may be an effective and sustainable model for mentorship, but further research is needed.