Effect of Peer Mentorship on Stress in First-Year Nursing Students

This study was designed as a non-randomized controlled experimental study with a pretest-posttest design to evaluate the effect of a peer mentor-mentee program on perceived stress levels among first-year nursing students.

The study was conducted with first-year nursing students enrolled in the nursing department at Istanbul Kent University. To reduce contamination between groups, students from different class sections were assigned to the study groups. One class section formed the intervention group, and another class section formed the control group. The study was completed with 120 students, including 60 students in the intervention group and 60 students in the control group.

The intervention group participated in an eight-week peer mentor-mentee program in addition to the university's routine orientation and standard academic advising services. Twelve fourth-year nursing students served as peer mentors. Mentors were selected based on voluntary participation, academic achievement, effective communication skills, supportive attitudes, and faculty approval. Each mentor was matched with five first-year nursing students.

Before the intervention, mentors and mentees received structured training on the mentoring process, university and department orientation, academic processes, ethical principles, confidentiality, time management, problem-solving, leadership, communication skills, and coping with stress. After the training and matching process, mentor-mentee meetings were conducted face-to-face or online according to student availability. Communication between mentors and mentees was also supported through mobile instant messaging groups.

The control group received the university's routine orientation program and standard academic advising services only. Students in the control group could meet with their academic advisors during advising hours and communicate with them by e-mail when needed.

Data were collected online at two time points: before the implementation of the peer mentor-mentee program and immediately after completion of the eight-week program. Perceived stress was measured using the Perceived Stress Scale. The mentoring process was evaluated using the Peer Mentorship Evaluation Scale. The primary outcome of the study was the change in perceived stress levels from baseline to post-intervention.

Inclusion criteria

• Being a first-year nursing student at Istanbul Kent University
• Being enrolled in the nursing department during the study period
• Being 18 years of age or older
• Volunteering to participate in the study
• Providing written informed consent
• Being able to complete the online data collection forms

Exclusion criteria

• Refusing to participate in the study
• Not providing informed consent
• Not completing the pretest or posttest data collection forms
• Being absent from the peer mentor-mentee program process in a way that prevents participation in the intervention
• Being a transfer student or previously having completed first-year nursing education