Supportive Faculty Can Make or Break Your Nursing Education
Posted On August 7,2025
When you are responsible for the health and safety of your patients as a nurse, any decision you make can have serious consequences. Because of this, nursing education programs need to be not only comprehensive, giving you a solid foundation in everything you’ll need for a successful career, but also rigorous, to make sure that the graduates of the program are appropriately prepared for the challenges they may face in their career. There will likely be a time – or even two – during your nursing education when you wonder if you are capable of success. Every nursing student goes through that period of doubt, and it’s the nursing instructors who will be there to get you through it. Having a supportive nursing faculty really can make or break your nursing education.
Nursing Programs Are Demanding – You Need an Instructor Who Cares About Your Success
Nursing programs should be demanding. However, if you have the desire and motivation to succeed, you are more than capable of getting through the program. But just as essential as your attitude is the attitude of your instructor. A supportive instructor is key to your success. All nursing students should feel seen and supported throughout their program. What makes an effective nursing instructor is not simply their knowledge and experience, but also their ability to form connections with their students and genuinely care about their success. As a nursing student, you should feel like you can trust your instructor to be rooting for you to succeed. If your instructor inspires you, you will engage more deeply with the material and be enthusiastic about what you are learning in the classroom, even when the material is challenging. Your instructors need to have a vested interest in helping every student who wants to be successful.
What Does a Supportive Instructor Look Like?
So you know you need an instructor who is supportive and cares about your success, but what does that look like?
- Approachable
Your nursing instructors may challenge you in class, but that doesn’t mean you should be too intimidated to approach them when you need to. A nursing instructor who cares about their students should always feel like someone you can go to and share your concerns. Although it may seem like a small thing, having a nursing instructor who knows your name can make a big difference in how you feel approaching them.
- Invested in Students
A good teacher has students who succeed, so it is essential that you feel your instructors are invested in helping you complete the program. This means providing quality and actionable feedback, being willing to help students overcome challenges, taking the time to make sure students have a firm grasp of the material, and adjusting to set students up for success.
- Willing to Guide Academically and Emotionally
Your nursing instructor should be willing to guide their students academically. If a class of nursing students can’t make it through the program, that reflects poorly on their teaching. But just as important is an instructor who will guide their students emotionally as they move through challenges. A nursing career isn’t just about memorizing information; it’s about connecting with patients. This starts with your experience in school.
- Experienced
When you have an instructor who has a lot of both teaching experience and experience working as a nurse, you know that you can trust them to guide you.
Having a Mentor You Can Rely on Will Set You Up for a Great Career
What is a mentor? A mentor is more than an instructor during your education, and more than a co-worker or supervisor once you are working. A nursing mentor is an experienced and knowledgeable individual who can offer guidance, support, and encouragement to someone new to the field. A mentor can be a role model, teacher, and advocate for a nursing student or new nurse. Instead of the direct teaching that may come from a nursing instructor or supervisor, a mentor will offer advice, feedback, and support, allowing the new nurse to develop their decision-making skills as well as their clinical skills. A mentor is a role model of what a successful nurse looks like and provides the encouragement and emotional support that nursing students and new nurses need at the beginning of their journey.
If you feel like you’re going through the program alone, any setbacks can make you feel like you’re in over your head. With a mentor, nursing students feel more confident that they can complete the program, as they have someone to turn to for support and advice when things become challenging.
How Do I Know My Nursing Program Has the Right Faculty?
When you are assessing and comparing programs for your nursing education, look for a program that is “student-centered”. A student-centered program means that student success, confidence, and satisfaction with the program are always at the forefront when developing the curriculum and selecting instructors. As you meet with admissions and administrators, ask questions about how faculty will respond to specific situations, like:
- What support systems do you have for students who are struggling?
- Are there any mentorship programs available for students?
- Are the instructors available outside of class time to help students?
- What is the overall culture of the program?
Seeing how these questions get answered, as well as talking to current students about their experiences, can help you know if you’ll have the environment you need to succeed.
Nursing programs can be challenging, but are incredibly worthwhile if you want to have a successful and meaningful career in healthcare. Finding a school that prioritizes student support is the best way to know that you are well-equipped for a great career.
Ready to become a nurse but want to know you’ll be supported every step of the way? At Athena Career Academy, our experienced and dedicated faculty are committed to guiding, encouraging, and investing in your success, both in the classroom and beyond.
Take the first step toward a rewarding nursing career with a team that believes in you. Contact us today to schedule a tour or request more information about our nursing programs.