Objectives fully achieved for the first edition of the Crescendo program

The Crescendo Program, which ran from October 2024 to March 2025, provided 55 participants — students from the ISoN and employees at the MUHC or the CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal — with the opportunity to strengthen clinical, leadership and interpersonal skills essential to the nursing profession, through an approach that combined mentorship, simulation, and leadership courses. 

Supported by government funding and developed by Emma Monaco, Louise Murray, Nancy Turner, Mélanie Gauthier, Oxana Kapoustina, John William Kayser, Vanessa Reginato, Lia Sanzone, and Valerie Toussaint, the program aimed to boost mentorship, leadership skills, graduation rates and the intention of participants to stay both in nursing and with their employer, all while creating a space for learning, collaboration, and networking. 
  
The results, highlighted in a focus group, showed significant benefits for both mentees and mentors.  The simulation component was particularly rewarding for the mentees, who saw it as a way to connect theoretical knowledge with the practical realities of the profession, without stress or judgment.  Some other skills that students appreciated learning included time and stress management, networking, and communicating effectively with patients and coworkers. 
  
As for the mentors, they reported improvements in their communication, delegation, coaching and knowledge transfer skills. Many expressed a sense of recognition in their role as mentors and emotional support providers for their mentees. They have also learned to strike a better balance between their roles as students and nurses, two distinctly different roles that they perform simultaneously. 

Finally, the qualitative survey conducted after the program supports this feedback, highlighting increased confidence among mentees in their clinical skills, in their ability to pass the OIIQ licensing exam, and in the transition from school to work. Mentors also reported greater confidence in their mentoring role, as well as in their organizational and time management skills.  Additionally, all participants showed increased leadership confidence. Overall, all participants showed a stronger intention to remain in the nursing program and with their employer, along with a high level of satisfaction with the relationships they have built. 

Funding efforts are in progress to ensure the program’s continuation. 

For more information about the Crescendo program, please contact Emma Monaco or Nancy Turner.