Mentorship: a feminist critique of current research

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Abstract
Reciprocal professional nurse relationships called mentorships have been researched over the last decade from the perspective of coming to know that they are, why they work and what they bring to each of the participants. 'Knowing' always has its limitations, since we, the inquirers, are only able to come to understand through the ways we have been shown to ask questions or where to ask them. If the personal is political, then nurses who explore mentorship/protégé relationships or any other area in nursing practice or education, must become aware of the unconscious biases which affect our choices in research. From a feminist perspective, each of us must decide, at least, to explore alternate ways of 'knowing' through the use of methodologies which engage women's lived experiences in a context which allows for stories to be shared and not reported. This paper is an opportunity to explore historical concepts, current needs for mutual support and the environmental and contextual experiences which may be fertile soil for new ways to understand how we can authentically bring meaning to each other wherever we work or study.