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Staff Retention Through Mentorship in the Labor and Delivery Unit
Kensay Nelson
Western Governors University
D157
Christine Hadsell
May 13, 2026
, 2
D157: Managing Resources in an Era of Disruption
A. Human Resource Management
Project Team Members
The HIP project team consists of a project manager, a nurse manager, a nurse
educator, seasoned nurse mentors, new nurse mentees, a human resources
representative, a finance representative, and quality or data support staff. The project
manager will organize the project, oversee timelines, track deliverables, and facilitate
communication. The nurse manager will encourage staff involvement, select mentors,
and approve unit participation. The nurse educator will develop mentor training and
address clinical learning needs. Skilled Labor and Delivery nurses will mentor. Novice
nurses will be mentees and share feedback on their needs. Human resources will
provide retention metrics. Finance will review costs. Quality or data support will monitor
key performance indicators. This team is focused on enhancing nurse retention through
structured mentorship in Labor and Delivery.
Justification for the Project Team
The project team was chosen since nurse retention demands support from
clinical, operational, educational, financial, and data functions. Staffing oversight,
mentor approval, and workflow management happen at the unit level, requiring a nurse
manager. The nurse educator is needed for role clarity, training, and learning support.
Bell et al. (2025) reported that mentorship programs depend on planning, clear
expectations, mentor recruitment, and assessment. Novice nurses benefit from
guidance post-orientation; experienced mentors are essential. Gularte-Rinaldo et al.
(2023) identified mentorship as a key facilitator for transition and retention. HR is
, 3
needed as retention of first-year nurses is the main outcome. Finance manages cost
planning and budget review. Quality or data support ensures thorough collection,
review, and reporting of project KPIs.
Project Team Roles and Expectations
The project manager will facilitate meetings, uphold schedules, assess risks, and
report progress. The nurse manager will identify novice nurses, approve mentor
participation, and address staffing concerns. The nurse educator will create resources,
conduct training, and support mentoring. Mentors will check in with novices, offer
guidance, document sessions, and raise concerns. Mentees will attend meetings,
discuss needs, complete surveys, and provide insight. HR will deliver retention data
before and after the project. Finance will monitor project costs, staff time, and budget
discrepancies. Quality or data support will track mentor matching, meeting completion,
and results. Clear expectations foster accountability. Pressley and Garside (2023)
linked nurse retention to support, leadership, satisfaction, and workplace conditions.
B. Personnel Costs Table (insert here)
Personnel Role Project Responsibility Estimated Hourly Estimated
Hours Rate Cost
Project Manager Coordination, meetings, 40 $50 $2,000
tracking, reports
Nurse Manager Staff approval, mentor selection, 12 $65 $780
barriers
Nurse Educator Mentor training and clinical 20 $60 $1,200
support
Nurse Mentors Check-ins, guidance, 80 $55 $4,400
documentation
Staff Retention Through Mentorship in the Labor and Delivery Unit
Kensay Nelson
Western Governors University
D157
Christine Hadsell
May 13, 2026
, 2
D157: Managing Resources in an Era of Disruption
A. Human Resource Management
Project Team Members
The HIP project team consists of a project manager, a nurse manager, a nurse
educator, seasoned nurse mentors, new nurse mentees, a human resources
representative, a finance representative, and quality or data support staff. The project
manager will organize the project, oversee timelines, track deliverables, and facilitate
communication. The nurse manager will encourage staff involvement, select mentors,
and approve unit participation. The nurse educator will develop mentor training and
address clinical learning needs. Skilled Labor and Delivery nurses will mentor. Novice
nurses will be mentees and share feedback on their needs. Human resources will
provide retention metrics. Finance will review costs. Quality or data support will monitor
key performance indicators. This team is focused on enhancing nurse retention through
structured mentorship in Labor and Delivery.
Justification for the Project Team
The project team was chosen since nurse retention demands support from
clinical, operational, educational, financial, and data functions. Staffing oversight,
mentor approval, and workflow management happen at the unit level, requiring a nurse
manager. The nurse educator is needed for role clarity, training, and learning support.
Bell et al. (2025) reported that mentorship programs depend on planning, clear
expectations, mentor recruitment, and assessment. Novice nurses benefit from
guidance post-orientation; experienced mentors are essential. Gularte-Rinaldo et al.
(2023) identified mentorship as a key facilitator for transition and retention. HR is
, 3
needed as retention of first-year nurses is the main outcome. Finance manages cost
planning and budget review. Quality or data support ensures thorough collection,
review, and reporting of project KPIs.
Project Team Roles and Expectations
The project manager will facilitate meetings, uphold schedules, assess risks, and
report progress. The nurse manager will identify novice nurses, approve mentor
participation, and address staffing concerns. The nurse educator will create resources,
conduct training, and support mentoring. Mentors will check in with novices, offer
guidance, document sessions, and raise concerns. Mentees will attend meetings,
discuss needs, complete surveys, and provide insight. HR will deliver retention data
before and after the project. Finance will monitor project costs, staff time, and budget
discrepancies. Quality or data support will track mentor matching, meeting completion,
and results. Clear expectations foster accountability. Pressley and Garside (2023)
linked nurse retention to support, leadership, satisfaction, and workplace conditions.
B. Personnel Costs Table (insert here)
Personnel Role Project Responsibility Estimated Hourly Estimated
Hours Rate Cost
Project Manager Coordination, meetings, 40 $50 $2,000
tracking, reports
Nurse Manager Staff approval, mentor selection, 12 $65 $780
barriers
Nurse Educator Mentor training and clinical 20 $60 $1,200
support
Nurse Mentors Check-ins, guidance, 80 $55 $4,400
documentation
