Mentorship and Onboarding of Nursing Assistants in Intensive Care: Models and Best Practices

Bota Bexizdykova

Citation: Bota Bexizdykova, "Mentorship and Onboarding of Nursing Assistants in Intensive Care: Models and Best Practices", Universal Library of Medical and Health Sciences, Volume 03, Issue 03.

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

The article examines the problem of mentorship and onboarding of nursing assistants in intensive care units, where workforce shortages and high levels of professional burnout among healthcare personnel threaten both clinical safety and the resilience of health systems. The relevance of the study is determined by the structural increase in demand for critical-care bed-days, the limited throughput of training programs, and the need to find organizational solutions capable of breaking the vicious circle of shortage — overload — attrition. The work aims to analyze and compare mentorship and adaptation models for Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) that can enhance task reallocation efficiency and reduce the burden on registered nurses in high-complexity clinical zones. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the systematization of empirical evidence on preceptorship practices, tiered competency systems, team-based mentorship, and simulation-oriented programs, with an emphasis on their impact on staff retention, the reduction of medical errors, and resource optimization. Findings prove that structured mentorship and multi-level adaptation formats serve not only in filling gaps created by inadequate staffing but also change the organizational model of care to deliver improved clinical safety with workforce stability. Simulation-based learning, adaptive knowledge-assessment tools, and psychosocial support combine to create a holistic educational ecosystem wherein professional competence is matched with emotional resilience. This article will be of benefit to the nursing scholar, leaders of clinical departments, and developers of academic programs in healthcare.


Keywords: Mentorship, Onboarding, Nursing Assistants, Intensive Care, Burnout, Workforce Shortage, Simulation-Based Learning.

Download doi https://doi.org/10.70315/uloap.ulmhs.2025.0303009