Nursing & Healthcare

Biography

Toby Bressler is the Director of Nursing for Professional Practice at Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY where she is focused on the patient, family and employee experience and supports the advancement of evidence-based practice through research, education and the application of scholarship. Toby earned her BSN, Magna Cum Laude from SUNY Downstate, Master’s degree at NYU, receiving an award for exemplary leadership and academic achievement, and her PhD from Molloy College of Nursing. Her research interests include interprofessional education, promotion of pediatric palliative care and quality of life of patients and families. Dr. Bressler is Chair of the American Nurses Association Education Committee and is also serving a 2 year term as a Jonas Policy Scholar with the American Academy of Nursing. She has published and presented extensively both nationally and internationally and has received awards for exemplary leadership, academic excellence and community service.

Research Interest

Description: Mentoring and leadership has been described in the literature as human-becoming incarnating meaning and committing to our protégé with enthusiasm and to use impelling, gentle urging. Mentoring is an enduring human relationship that is essential for both personal and professional growth for anyone (Latham et al, 2008). Studies have found that dedicated mentors engaged in supporting and enhancing the work environment for RNs. The partnership enhanced mutual respect between frontline RNs and managers, and administration and improved the mentoring and supportive culture. The evidence correlates mentoring with the promotion of talent, achievement, leadership, knowledge, and skill development in nursing. Every nurse requires the invested interest and involvement of others to fully develop talent, to imagine our future possibilities and contribute to healthcare. The overall aim of this presentation is to educate colleagues about mentorship and how it relates to nursing practice, nurses in all areas of practice can benefit from a skillful mentor in a setting where their involvement might not be intuitive. 1. Define the broad concepts relating to mentorship and nursing leadership 2. Recognize the role of the mentor in helping navigate professional practice issues and work-life encounters 3. Describe the role of mentor in the mentor-mentee relationship 4. Identify characteristics of a community of mentorship This presentation of the role of the mentor in nursing practice with an emphasis on leadership at the point of care. All nurses are leaders, in clinical practice, education, research or administration. Nurses are leaders and as such we have an opportunity to mentor others on their journey. This presentation will describe how nurses as leaders and mentors can advance practice and the profession.