SUMMARY
AbstractThe purpose of the study was to explore the perceptions of professional nurses on student mentorship in clinical areas. A qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological research was conducted to determine the meaning of mentoring as perceived by professional nurses and to identify the successes and challenges encountered by professional nurses with regard to student mentorship during clinical practice.Data was collected using in-depth individual interviews to collect data from sixteen operational managers who were managing all unit activities, including student mentoring. Each interview lasted for ±45 min. A hermeneutic data analysis (hermeneutic circle) was used to analyse data. Four (4) themes and fourteen (14) sub-themes emerged from data collected from operational managers.The findings revealed that mentoring was perceived as a valuable tool to apply in the preparation of student nurses for future professional role. In the process of mentoring, the caring attitude is important. Factors that facilitated the mentoring process were good communication, time and available resources.