Clinical Nurse Educator Mentorship: Implementation at an Oncology Program in Rwanda

A long-term partnership among the Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence (BCCOE) in Rwanda, Partners in Health (PIH)/Inshuti Mu Buzima, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) supports the development of oncology nurses through a clinical nurse educator role. Two senior Rwandan oncology nurses at BCCOE were hired as nurse educators and were mentored by a PIH/DFCI oncology nurse educator using the accompaniment approach. The formalized mentorship process included long-term accompaniment for all educator projects spanning staff training, quality improvement, research, and clinical practice, as well as development of nurse educator competencies and creation of a repository of resources.

AT A GLANCE

• The oncology clinical nurse educator is well placed to support quality oncology care and to demonstrate nurse leadership in a global setting.
• Formalization of a long-term mentorship model using an accompaniment approach can support new nurse educators in a context where the role is less known.
• Building local leadership and expert capacity is a sustainable way to reduce reliance on external support.