Mentoring has been proposed as a solution for retention and succession planning in nursing; however, there is a lack of information about "how to" mentor based on evidence. This seven-part leadership series will provide a deep dive into evidence-based mentoring practices and associated mentoring benefits for staff nurses and the organizations in which they work. Part 1 of this series provides an overview of the origins and evolution of mentoring, related definitions, and evidence-based mentoring practices and benefits.