Developing Effective Mentorship Programs for Advanced Practice Providers in Gastroenterology

Advanced practice providers (APPs) are essential to the successful operations of gastroenterology practices across all practice models.  The role of APPs continues to evolve beyond clinical practice into areas including practice management, education, and research.  With the expansion of APPs duties in clinical practice and practice management, practice leaders need to develop and implement structured, effective mentoring programs for APPs. Mentorship allows experienced professionals to share lessons learned through practice, not only improving clinical competence but also facilitating career advancement and improving job satisfaction.¹ While there are different models of mentorship, each serves its own purpose and can be adapted to fit the mentor-mentee relationship.² Mentorship is most effective because we all learn from our experiences, especially from our mistakes.  This knowledge, our hindsight, becomes our insight and can be passed on to become someone’s foresight.²

Question:

Which of the following are included in a list of different mentorship models?

1. Apprenticeship model
2. Cloning model
3. Nurturing model
4. Friendship model
5. All of the above

Practice Pearls

• A mentor is a person who gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person, especially in a professional or academic context.³
• Mentoring is the process by which an experienced person provides guidance, support, and encouragement to a less experienced person.²

Mentorship Models²

• Apprenticeship model.  Typically, there is a hierarchy of professional positions, and the trainee is mentored and taught by a more experienced professional. This model is less personal than other models; it is within the professional relationship that mentees learn from mentors.
• Cloning model.  The Cloning model is based on role modeling- the mentor is planning succession, and the mentee is groomed into the role.
• Nurturing model.  The Nurturing model creates a safe, open environment in which mentees can discuss personal issues, learn, and try things for themselves, with their mentors acting as resources and facilitators.
• Friendship model.  The friendship model occurs when mentors and mentees are at or near the same professional level; rather than being in a hierarchical relationship, they are peers.
• In any model, the mentee and mentor can work out the details and decide how much time and energy they are willing to invest in the relationship. However, if it is a formal apprenticeship model or a cloning model, they should adhere to the prescribed formula to avoid jeopardizing the mentorship program's goal.

Mentor and Mentee Benefits and Challenges⁴

• Benefits for mentors include fulfillment, motivation, rejuvenation, professional growth, academic and educational productivity, and enduring relationships.
• Challenges for mentors include time constraints, imposter syndrome, mentee failure, vulnerability, embracing limitations, overcommitting, and mismatch.
• Benefits for the mentee include psychosocial and emotional support, illuminating hidden curriculum, navigating hierarchy of organizations, professional development, role modeling, academic and educational productivity, and enduring relationships.
• Challenges for mentees include finding a mentor, asking for mentorship, lack of direction, ensuring needs are met, feeling like a burden, and mismatch.

Principles for Effective Mentoring⁴

For mentorship to thrive, it is essential that individuals in mentoring programs share a common understanding of what it entails.

• Defining roles
• Key skills and attributes for success
• Share values

Finding the “right” mentor requires careful consideration and planning. Formal mentoring programs exist; however, successful mentoring relationships often develop organically through professional interactions.⁵

Maintaining Successful Mentoring Relationships.⁵

• Honest discussion about goals, availability, and communication methods.
• Regular, defined check-ins maintain and align objectives.
• Documentation of meetings, agreed-upon goals, and progress metrics structures relationships.

Practice Management

• Mentorship must evolve with advances in technology.  Digital platforms, artificial intelligence-assisted mentor-mentee matching, and virtual reality training environments could emerge as complementary tools to traditional mentorship programs.⁵
• Mentorship programs improve 1st- and 2nd-year retention among new APPs.⁶
• In a study by Yun et al., most participants in a mentorship program believed the program improved onboarding, personal and professional growth, work environment, and nurse practitioner and physician assistant community connection.⁶

Summary

As the role of APPs continues to evolve within gastroenterology, effective mentorship is essential for improving clinical competence, professional growth, and job satisfaction. Successful mentorships depend on a shared understanding of what the mentorship involves, careful selection of mentor/mentee, and maintaining a relationship that includes open discussions about goals and objectives. By understanding and implementing different mentorship models, gastroenterology practices can help support APPs success, strengthen their organizations, and, in turn, improve patient outcomes.

References

1. Ghosh R, Reio TG.  Career benefits associated with mentoring for mentors: a meta-analysis.  J Vocat Behav.  2013;83:106-116.
2. Ratnapalan S.  Mentoring in medicine.  Canadian Family Physician. Vol 56: Feb 2010. 198.
3. Merriam-Webster Dictionary.  www.merriam-webster.com Accessed 6/2/2026.
4. Rechtin M, Haischer-Rollo G, Bunin J.  The ABC’s of Mentorship in Medical Education: Awareness, Benefits, and Challenges.  Medical Research Archives.  11(12):1-8.   https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v11i12.4818.   Published December 31, 2023.
5. MedicsHub.  The Role of Mentorship in Medicine:  How to Find and Be a Mentor.  www.medicshub.co/the-role-of-mentorship-in-medicine-how-to-find-and-be-a-mentor
6. Yun B, Gilbert AC, Li HF, Scanlan JM, Coleman AL.  Nurse practitioner and physician associate mentorship: improving retention and employment experiences.  J AM Assoc Nurse Pract.  2025;37(1):47-52.

Authors

Stacia Sackmaster, APN-BC is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner at Rockford Gastroenterology Associates, Ltd receiving her BSN and MSN degree from Saint Anthony College of Nursing. She has spent her entire nursing career in the Neuro/Trauma/Burn ICU at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center.

Janelle DeFilippis, APN-BC is a board certified Acute Care Nurse Practitioner at Rockford Gastroenterology Associates specializing in the care of hospitalized patients with gastroenterological problems at OSF Saint Anthony Hospital. She received her BSN degree from Saint Anthony College of Nursing and earned her MSN and Acute Care Certification from University of Illinois in Chicago.

Joseph Vicari, MD, MBA, FASGE joined Rockford Gastroenterology in 1997 and has served as Managing Partner. He previously served as Chair of the ASGE Practice Operations Committee, Councilor on the ASGE Governing Board and Section Editor for Advanced Practice Providers for iGIE. He currently serves as Co-chair of the ASGE APP Committee.