High School

A hospital assigned the senior neurosurgeon to mentor a new neurosurgeon. They need to work together to get the new neurosurgeon on task in three months, when the senior neurosurgeon will retire. The new neurosurgeon also talks many times a day with the resident nurse to get accustomed to how the nursing staff works with the doctors.

Which best describes the mentoring of the new neurosurgeon?

A. The senior neurosurgeon and nurse are informal mentors.
B. The senior neurosurgeon is an informal mentor, and the nurse is a formal mentor.
C. The senior neurosurgeon and nurse are formal mentors.
D. The senior neurosurgeon is a formal mentor, and the nurse is an informal mentor.

Answer :

The correct option is d. The the best description of the mentoring arrangement for the new neurosurgeon is the senior neurosurgeon is a formal mentor, and the nurse is an informal mentor.

Mentoring can be categorized into formal and informal mentoring based on the structure and purpose of the mentoring relationship. In this scenario, the senior neurosurgeon has been assigned to mentor the new neurosurgeon with the specific goal of getting the new surgeon up to speed within a three-month period before the senior neurosurgeon's retirement.

This is a structured, goal-oriented relationship with a clear timeline and purpose, which is characteristic of formal mentoring. The senior neurosurgeon's role is formal because it is part of the hospital's plan to ensure continuity of care and expertise after the senior neurosurgeon retires.

On the other hand, the resident nurse's interactions with the new neurosurgeon, which involve talking many times a day to help the new surgeon understand how the nursing staff works with the doctors, is more indicative of informal mentoring.

These conversations are likely to be more spontaneous and less structured than the formal mentoring provided by the senior neurosurgeon. The nurse's role is informal because it is not part of a pre-defined mentoring program, but rather an organic part of the work environment that supports the new neurosurgeon's integration into the team.

The correct question is:

A hospital assigned the senior neurosurgeon to mentor a new neurosurgeon. They need to work together to get the new neurosurgeon on task in three months, when the senior neurosurgeon will retire. The new neurosurgeon also talks many times a day with the resident nurse to get accustomed to how the nursing staff works with the doctors. Which best describes the mentoring of the new neurosurgeon?

a. The senior neurosurgeon and nurse are informal mentors.

b. The senior neurosurgeon is an informal mentor, and the nurse is a formal mentor.

c. The senior neurosurgeon and nurse are formal mentors.

d. The senior neurosurgeon is a formal mentor, and the nurse is an informal mentor.