SMASH! Mentoring Model for Cultivating Success and Well-Being among Graduate Students

The SMASH! mentoring model, a theoretical and evidence-based framework, has been used at the University of Louisville School of Nursing (UofL SON) to nurture PhD students’ professional growth and wellbeing. Weekly meetings among faculty mentors and student mentees are pre-scheduled during the Fall and Spring semesters. Three types of mentoring strategies are combined to optimize students’ scholarly success and mental wellbeing including instrumental, relational, and sponsorship. Anonymous quantitative and narrative surveys showed that all students found the SMASH! mentoring program to be effective to promote their professional life and mental health. More details of activities and evidence of program success will be presented at the conference.