title: No more "fumbling alone": effect of a nurse-led academic advising service in a Magnet(®) hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A nurse-led, hospital-based academic advising service (AAS) was developed at a large Magnet(®) hospital. The AAS aided nurses and aspiring nurses as they considered advancing education. This research project was developed to evaluate the AAS.
  
  
  METHODS
  This qualitative study used a web-based survey to gather information from those who had accessed the service; there were 80 participants. Satisfaction was determined quantitatively, and qualitative data analysis was completed with naturalistic inquiry approaches and standards of rigor.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 347 codes were isolated from the data and collapsed into nine categories. One comment, "I did not have to fumble through this alone," suggested the idea of coaching within a context of football as the overarching metaphor. Quantitative results indicated that advises were satisfied, with 61 of 80 respondents taking specific action after the session.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nurses and aspiring nurses found academic advising at work helpful, and the AAS facilitated a return to formal education for some of the participants.
authors.affiliation: Memorial Medical Center, Springfield, IL, USA. wendler.cecilia@mhsil.com
authors.forename: M Cecilia
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Wendler
authors.forename: Paula M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Fyans
authors.forename: Geri
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kirkbride
mesh_terms: D002322:Career Mobility; D003625:Data Collection; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D004511:Education, Nursing, Graduate; D004518:Education, Professional, Retraining; D006801:Humans; D014830:Vocational Guidance / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards*