Kisha is a staff nurse who has been in practice for seven years. Her career goal is to be in a formal leadership position within the next year, and she decides to find a mentor who can provide her with the support and guidance necessary to explore and achieve this. Chris has been a manager of a clinical teaching unit for 20 years, and he recently realized that this is a good time in his career to become a mentor and share his knowledge, expertise and wisdom while learning from a mentee. Kisha and Chris are about to embark on what could be a transformative relationship for them both — if they know the keys for success.

Career planning and development is an educational strategy that can help nursing students develop career resiliency before they graduate.

I read your column in the February issue with much interest. It is wonderful that some organizations are implementing career development programs. But I’m wondering what I should do when my employer doesn’t see career development as a priority. I’m just beginning my career in nursing.

We all want to encourage innovative practice to ensure that patients and clients receive the best nursing care possible. In difficult times, the need for creativity is paramount, but our ability to be creative may suffer as a result of worries about the future of our families, our colleagues and our jobs. Although the global economy is in the midst of a serious downturn, the nursing shortage still looms; we need to continue to make certain that we keep the nurses we have and encourage others to regard nursing as a viable career. It seemed appropriate to the theme of this issue to discuss ways to support practitioners so that they will remain engaged in their work and in nursing. We will focus on strategies aimed at new graduates and mid-career nurses, two cohorts that are particularly at risk for becoming “disengaged.”