Often, the mentor’s efforts were directed towards making sense of and giving form to the fragments in their lived experience. They applied their selves as creative beings, seeing patterns in the project of mentoring. It was not possible or even desirable to know the student as a whole entity in one moment of perception. They needed to build their knowledge of the student from the fragments that presented themselves piece by piece over time and in relations with others.
They came to know the student by observing their practice, having conversations, working alongside them, gettng to know them as individuals. As nursing requires practical as well as academic skills. the hands in this image are meaningful. Mentors find it very important that students learn the hands-on skills early on, even though as nurses they are often delgating this work to health care assistants. Many of them feel the tensions of wanting to carry out the direct nursing care, while at the same time being pulled towards the equally important management tasks.
Sometimes, students are welcomed in to the workplace as an extra pair of hands, or sometimes students have been reported as saying they feel like a spare part. There are many ways in which fragments feature in mentoring.
