This project seeks to develop new knowledge to improve mentoringpractices in the education of critical care nurses. The main aim is to improve the quality of education of specialist nurses during placement in the intensive care units (ICUs). The project seeks to obtain new knowledge by mappingthe relevant mentoringcompetences inICUnurses, and by developingand feasibility testingand pilot testingan educational intervention improving the mentoring quality in ICUs educating critical care nurses in a collaboration between the university and ICUs. Furthermore, the new knowledge will benefit ICU educational partners nationally and internationally.

This study consists of three parts with the following objectives:

• Substudy/objective1: To assess Norwegian critical care nurses’ competence in mentoring studentsin clinical placement in the ICU.
• Substudy/objective2: To develop and assess the feasibility of an intervention aimed at improving nurse’s competence in mentoringcritical care nursing students in clinical placement.
• Substudy/objective3: To pilot test the intervention aimed at improving nurse’s competence in mentoring critical care nursing students in clinical placement.

The results of this study will bepublished in international peer reviewed journals and presented as papers at national and international conferences. Sharing knowledge to the wider academic community, to ICUs, and to the higher educational institutions will be beneficial for all those interested in mentoring practices and student learning during ICU placements. This webpage will inform wider audiences about the results.