(1096) Supporting New Critical Care APPs: Development and Implementation of a Mentorship Program

Introduction: New hired critical care advanced practice providers (APPs) face unique challenges impacting job satisfaction and retention. Structured mentorship has been shown to improve these aspects. Despite having more than six specialized ICUs with APP teams, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) lacked a formal mentorship program for critical care APPs. To better support critical care APPs we developed and implemented a pilot mentorship program.

Methods: A proposal was submitted to VUMC APP leadership in October 2023 and gained institutional support. The program was advertised through email to all critical care APP teams with links to apply. Participation was voluntary. The mentorship committee paired experienced APP mentors with new hires having less than two years of experience. The 12-month program launched in January 2024. The program includes one-on-one mentorship sessions, materials to facilitate mentorship, and the opportunity for mentees to complete a professional development project with guidance from their mentor. Program effectiveness was evaluated through a mid-program survey focusing on mentor-mentee interactions, professional growth, and overall program evaluation.

Results: A total of 17 APPs applied to the mentorship program, of which 14 were paired, representing four specialized critical care teams. The mid-program survey response rate from mentors was 100% (7) and 71.4% (5) from mentees. Responses indicated that 71.4% (5) of pairs met monthly and were satisfied with this frequency. All mentors felt effective in supporting their mentees’ professional development. Among mentors, 85.7% (6) found the experience professionally and personally rewarding. All mentees reported their mentor was engaged, provided valuable feedback, and helped them achieve their professional goals. All respondents indicated they would recommend the program to colleagues.

Conclusions: The implementation of a pilot mentorship program for critical care APPs at VUMC demonstrated feasibility and effectiveness in enhancing support and professional growth for new hires. Survey results indicate that structured mentorship programs benefit both new and experienced APPs in critical care. Further efforts will focus on assessing long-term impacts on retention and exploring potential scalability.