Abstract
BACKGROUND: Peer mentorship is a vital component of doctoral education; however, few studies describe peer mentorship in Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhDN) programs. OBJECTIVES: Explore characteristics, benefits, and challenges of peer mentorship experienced by PhD-N students. DESIGN: An electronic survey was sent to PhD-N program administrators at member institutions of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing in the United States. Contacts were asked to distribute the survey to current and recently graduated PhD-N students. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze participant demographics. Thematic analysis was used to analyze survey responses. RESULTS: Respondents (n = 213) provided perspectives from every PhD-N program phase, with 43.3 % (n = 91) pre-candidacy, 41.0 % (n = 86) candidacy, and 15.7 % (n = 33) recently graduated students. A total of 55.2 % (n = 117) received some form of peer mentorship. Thematic analysis revealed three peer mentorship levels (map, compass, first mate) representing varying degrees of emotional investment. Peer mentorship benefits included feeling connected to peers and the institution, strengthening research skills, and feeling supported. Barriers to peer mentorship include lack of time and institutional support, fear of burdening others, and poorly matched mentors. CONCLUSION: Given that peer mentorship recipients reported feeling supported and less isolated, academic institutions should build a culture that promotes and supports peer mentorship. Future research should examine peer mentorship effects on PhD-N students' mental health, academic success, and faculty transition.