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Mentorship is a core component of UVA Health’s nurse retention strategy and has been such a success that a new track came on board in September 2022: the Experienced RN Mentorship Program. As their six-month engagement concluded in February 2023, mentors and mentees share positive feedback about their experiences, supporting the notion that mentorship is indeed a two-way street. “As much as I gave to my mentee, she gave back to me,” says Megan Fretwell, a mentor who has been at UVA Health for 10 years.

To learn more about this new mentorship option and its benefits to all involved, we spoke to Fretwell and her mentee, Tabatha Gilbert, and to Williams Solomon and his mentor, Liz Crotty. 

Williams Solomon & Liz Crotty

Originally from Nigeria, Williams Solomon joined UVA Health’s Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) in 2022 as an international nurse from England. “When I started, I was the only person from another country in the MICU," Solomon remembers. "I was very determined to get through orientation and show them I could do this, but I felt under the spotlight and a little lost."

When he learned about upcoming mentorship opportunities from the Nursing Professional Governance Organization (NPGO), he raised his hand. “I wanted to be part of the community and meet people who have worked here a long time. I wanted somebody to talk to." 

The program matched Solomon with Liz Crotty, a nurse in the recovery room at the outpatient surgery center with more than 25 years of experience in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). She'd never signed up to be a mentor and felt it was the right time. “I was getting near retirement, and saw newer nurses needed encouragement,” says Crotty. “I wanted to let them know they have support and the freedom to explore all that nursing has to offer.”  

Crotty and Solomon immediately hit it off. Once an MICU nurse, Crotty understood Solomon’s work environment and also appreciates his feeling of being lost, having lived in France previously without knowing French. She enjoyed hearing about Solomon’s journey and learning how nurses deliver care differently in England. “There’s always something to learn from different perspectives,” explains Crotty. “I’ve loved getting to know Williams and I really admire him. He has come through so much, and he’s very balanced. He is an exceptional person.”

The pair followed the program’s monthly agenda — discussing topics such as emotional intelligence and cultural competence — and established Solomon’s long-term goal of becoming a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA). “The role is a good fit for me because I like learning advanced nursing skills, I love research, and I want to stay on the clinical side,” he says. “Liz has given me things to read, set me up with shadowing opportunities, and shared information about schools. From day one, she has gone way beyond as a mentor.”

Now that the program has ended, Solomon is committed to following the steps he and Crotty laid out together to achieve his goal. And as he continues his work in the MICU, he will remember Crotty’s advice to always express himself. “When you come here from outside the U.S., it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and alone,” Solomon shares. “It goes a long way when someone from within the system reassures you it’s OK to speak up. I feel that I am enough — that I am worthy.”

Megan Fretwell & Tabatha Gilbert

For Megan Fretwell, a Clin 4 at Orthopedic Center Ivy Road, becoming a mentor was serendipitous. Having recently transitioned from a nurse education role, she missed mentoring nurses and was looking for other ways to contribute. “The way I find joy in my job is by being involved, so when this opportunity came up, I jumped at the chance!” she says. “I've always enjoyed teaching new nurses and watching them grow, and I love helping other people find their niche.”  

The program paired Fretwell with Tabatha Gilbert, a new Clin 3 in outpatient surgery and pre-op. “I wanted to do more on my unit and dip my toes in leadership, but was trying to find my way,” recalls Gilbert. Her ultimate goal was to transition to nurse education, but that role was filled on her unit. 

The two women found many ways to relate to one another. They both started in critical care and transitioned to outpatient, they’re the same age, and each has a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old child. “As a nurse, you have this life that not many people outside your profession understand,” says Gilbert, originally from Ohio. “It’s been so nice to have a connection with someone in Charlottesville who understands what the job entails and also is raising children. Our relationship became so much more that I had anticipated.” 

Through UVA’s mentorship program process, Fretwell, who has a Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN), helped Gilbert establish a series of short-term, achievable goals that would lead to her ultimate long-term goal of earning her MSN. Within six months, Gilbert would be researching graduate schools, which she checked off her list already by attending the Fall Education Fair. And within a year, she'll apply to an MSN program; within five years, she expects to earn her degree.

Fretwell also shared advice on how to break into leadership when the role you envision for yourself is not available. For Gilbert, that meant speaking up and advocating for herself. “My manager now knows where I want to be and we’re exploring options,” she says.  

Fretwell encourages others to become mentors. “The best thing about the program is it’s flexible and organic, and that’s why I think it works so well,” she says. “You can meet at work or go out to coffee, or to the park for playdates! It’s set up so the mentor and the mentee can self-reflect and learn about where we each need to grow. You’re going to get out of it what you put into it.”

She and Gilbert plan to continue their mutual mentorship at the playground. “Having an outside leadership perspective has been so great,” says Gilbert. “Becoming friends was just the cherry on top!”