The Role of Senior Mentorship in Building Clinical Confidence among Novice Nurses: A Comparative Analysis

Clinical confidence is one of the essential qualities that new nurses need to acquire as they enter the world of professional practice. Owing to the theory-practice gap, these nurses tend to develop anxiety and uncertainty, which limit their potential to deliver safe, effective care to patients. Senior mentorship has proven to be among the salient methods adopted towards bridging this gap for novice nurses, who sometimes find such mentorship as structured guidance, support, and role modeling that would put the novice nurse in a better position in terms of both competence and confidence. The present study, titled "The Role of Senior Mentorship in Building Clinical Confidence Among Novice Nurses: A Comparative Analysis", investigated the variation in levels of clinical confidence between novice nurses who were provided with structured mentorship and those who had no such tool at selected hospitals in Davao Oriental. The study employed a comparative quantitative design with purposive sampling of 60 novice nurses: 30 with structured mentorship, and 30 without structured mentorship. Data were then collected using the validated modified Clinical Confidence Survey, measuring five domains: mastery of work, decision-making, independent caretaking performance, independence, and crisis management. Statistical analysis through ANOVA shows a significant difference between the two groups across all domains, with mentored nurses consistently reporting higher confidence levels (means 4.39–4.45) compared to unmentored nurses (means 2.56–2.59). These findings confirm that structured mentorship programs greatly enhance the clinical confidence development of novice nurses. Mentorship has been identified as an essential driving force in enhancing the scope of professional growth, resilience, and preparedness for the delivery of health care by novice nurses. With structured guidance and role modeling of their seniors in the profession, it also generates competence as well as retention, job satisfaction, and safety for nurses and patients. Based on the findings of this research, the scholar recommends the institutionalization of structured mentorship programs specific to clinical practice areas, as well as continuous training for mentors, to provide sustainable support for new nurses. Such initiatives will bridge the theory-practice gap in education, demonstrate confidence-enriched learning environments, and challenge healthcare outcomes.