Many nurses enter academia after spending years at the bedside as strong clinicians. Some have served as charge nurses, preceptors, or leaders, and eventually feel called to teaching as a new and meaningful way to make an impact. However, just like any new role, the transition from clinician to educator comes with uncertainty. It can be difficult to move from a space of confidence and mastery into a role filled with unfamiliar expectations and responsibilities.
Effective teaching develops over time, just like nursing practice. It is shaped through reflection, mentorship, intentional practice, and trial and error. Perfection is not the goal. Growth is.
Find Your Passion and Teach From It
As a new educator, take time to identify what excites you clinically or professionally and lean into it. Passion translates into energy, authenticity, and student engagement. You do not have to know everything. Students respond to enthusiasm, relevance, and meaningful stories grounded in real practice.
Your passion and expertise are unique. Other faculty may not share the same background, and that is where collaboration begins. Guest lectures, simulation development, and interdisciplinary teaching often grow out of these connections. Teaching is not meant to be done alone, and shared strengths elevate both faculty and students.
Find a Mentor or Two
Some institutions formally assign mentors, while others do not. Regardless, seeking mentorship early is essential. It is normal and beneficial to have different mentors for different needs, such as teaching, scholarly work, or work-life balance.
Teaching mentorship is especially important during the first year. Regular meetings with a mentor can provide structure, guidance, and reassurance during the transition to academia. New faculty are learning far more than content delivery. They are navigating learning management systems, responding to students, completing evaluations, understanding student learning outcomes, and finding their identity as faculty members.
Experienced faculty can often share lessons learned through mistakes. In fact, your first class, whether didactic or clinical, will likely be your hardest. Use that experience as a foundation. Read student evaluations with openness, look for themes, and make intentional changes. Growth comes from feedback, and teaching is a continuous learning process.
Observe Other Faculty but Do Not Mimic
Observing colleagues in the classroom and clinical setting is one of the most valuable learning tools for new educators. Watch how others manage classrooms, engage students, handle silence, and respond to confusion. You will quickly see that effective teaching looks different from one faculty member to another.
The goal is not to copy someone else’s style. Borrow strategies, not personalities. Develop a teaching approach that feels authentic to you. Students recognize and respond to authenticity.
Reflect on Your Experience as a Student
No matter how long it has been since you were a student, your experience still matters. Reflect intentionally on what shaped your learning.
What made your favorite instructors effective?
What created a safe learning environment?
What teaching behaviors discouraged participation or learning?
Approaching teaching through this reflective lens keeps empathy at the center of your practice. Most educators chose this role because of students. Remembering that purpose matters, especially on challenging days.
Invite Feedback Early and Often
Feedback is a tool for growth, just as it is for students. Seek honest input beyond required peer evaluations. Ask trusted colleagues to observe your teaching and offer constructive suggestions for improvement.
We cannot grow as educators if we teach in isolation. Just as you did not become an excellent nurse alone, teaching also requires collaboration, reflection, and shared learning.
Remember, They Are Students Learning to Become Nurses
Students are developing clinical judgment, confidence, and professional identity all at once. This takes time. Practice patience and maintain realistic expectations, especially in clinical and simulation settings.
Mistakes are part of learning. Our role is to create environments where students feel supported as they grow, not pressured to be perfect before they are ready.
Be a Coach, Not Just a Content Expert
You are more than a content expert. You are a coach, guide, and supporter throughout students’ nursing journeys. Coaching involves asking reflective questions, encouraging critical thinking over memorization, and supporting growth through mistakes.
Errors should always be framed as learning opportunities, never moments of embarrassment. If students do not feel safe making mistakes in a learning environment, it raises concern for how they will respond when practicing independently. Support and accountability can and should coexist.
Conclusion: Give Yourself Permission to Grow
Teaching is one of the most rewarding ways to impact the next generation of nurses, but it takes time to grow into the role. Seek opportunities to build confidence, ask for support, and continue refining your teaching practice.
Always remember your why. The best educators are not those who know the most, but those who continue to learn.
Ariel Kinder, MSN, APRN, FNP‑C, is a former Clinical Assistant Professor at Texas State University and a volunteer Family Nurse Practitioner at a gender‑affirming community clinic. Her work examines mentorship, educator transition, and immersive population health experiences for community health students. She is pursuing the Master of Public Affairs DC Concentration at the University of Texas with a focus on health equity and structural determinants of health.