When I transitioned from the bedside to academia, I expected to feel a bit disoriented. What I didn’t expect was how unprepared I’d feel in front of a classroom. I could manage a sick patient, but designing a syllabus? That was foreign territory. Like many new nursing faculty, I quickly realized that teaching well requires more than clinical expertise. It requires guidance, mentorship, and structured support.
Across the country, nursing programs are hiring experienced clinicians to fill urgent teaching needs. But while these new faculty bring deep clinical knowledge, they’re often left to navigate academia with little formal preparation. Without training in pedagogy, support in scholarship, or guidance on non-clinical responsibilities, many struggle to find their footing—and some quietly leave.
What can institutions do to help new educators succeed and stay? In this article, I’ll share five practical strategies that nursing programs can implement to better support novice nurse educators through their first year.
Strategy 1: Clarify the Role Early
One of the most common sources of confusion for new nursing faculty is not knowing exactly what their role entails. In clinical settings, responsibilities are often clear and structured. In academia, however, the expectations can be vague, layered, and often left unsaid. New faculty may be told to “teach, publish, and serve,” but those categories are broad and open to interpretation.
During onboarding, institutions should provide a detailed breakdown of faculty responsibilities, including teaching load, committee work, service expectations, and what “scholarship” actually means at their institution. Even a simple one-page overview or 90-day expectations checklist can go a long way in reducing uncertainty. Clear role definition not only supports performance, but it also helps new faculty set boundaries, prioritize tasks, and feel more confident in their new environment.
Strategy 2: Pair New Faculty with a Teaching Mentor
Mentorship can make or break a new faculty member’s experience. While most institutions assign a formal mentor, the quality and structure of that relationship vary widely. New faculty often benefit most from having a designated teaching mentor—someone who can help with lesson planning, classroom strategies, student issues, and grading approaches.
Mentors should meet regularly with their mentee during the first semester, even if informally. These meetings can be used to review syllabi, discuss class challenges, or debrief after a tough week. It also helps to offer observation opportunities in both directions. When new educators observe how others teach and receive low-stakes feedback on their teaching, they grow more quickly and feel less isolated.
To ensure mentorship programs are effective, institutions should also evaluate mentors. A brief survey or feedback form at the end of the semester can help identify whether the mentoring relationship was helpful, accessible, and relevant to teaching needs.
Mentorship doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful. What matters most is creating a space where questions are welcomed, growth is encouraged, and teaching is a shared craft.
Starting a new teaching role can feel like building a plane while flying it. A well-organized faculty toolkit can reduce that chaos and give new educators a stronger start. This toolkit doesn’t need to be fancy or overwhelming; it just needs to be useful and tailored to the realities of nursing education.
At a minimum, it should include:
A syllabus template that incorporates required language, including program outcomes and course-level objectives A sample assignment and rubric, along with access to online rubric builders like RubiStar or Quick Rubric Grading policies and step-by-step guides for using the LMS and clinical tracking platforms Classroom and simulation lab technology instructions A directory of key student support services, including disability services, tutoring, counseling, and clinical placement contacts
Include links to academic calendars, course evaluation procedures, and professional development opportunities. Ideally, this toolkit is digital, searchable, and editable. The assigned teaching mentor should also walk the new faculty member through the toolkit during onboarding, helping them connect abstract policies with everyday teaching tasks.
The goal isn’t to provide everything. They’ll learn plenty by doing. However, it should give them a confident and structured starting point.
Strategy 4: Offer Targeted Professional Development Opportunities
Most new nursing faculty members are hired for their clinical expertise, rather than their teaching experience. While enthusiasm and subject matter knowledge go a long way, pedagogy is a skill that must be learned. Offering professional development (PD) that focuses on the unique challenges of nurse educators can accelerate that growth and reduce frustration.
Early PD sessions should prioritize topics like lesson planning, active learning strategies, test item writing, and inclusive teaching. Nursing-specific sessions might include simulation facilitation, clinical evaluation tools, and managing preceptorships. These can be offered live, recorded, or self-paced to meet faculty where they are.
It is also helpful to spread out development opportunities across the first year. Too much too soon can overwhelm new faculty who are already adjusting to grading, meetings, and the demands of student needs. A scaffolded approach with just-in-time topics, such as how to grade clinical paperwork or debrief simulations, can provide support exactly when it is needed most.
Experienced faculty should be invited to participate as both attendees and facilitators. Their presence allows them to share practical wisdom, offer peer support, and model reflective practice. It also helps create a culture of shared growth, where new and seasoned faculty build relationships and strengthen collaboration within the teaching team.
Strategy 5: Give Permission to Learn
New faculty often feel like they have to perform at an expert level from day one. The pressure to appear confident, competent, and fully prepared can be overwhelming, especially for those transitioning directly from clinical roles where they were seasoned professionals. Institutions can alleviate this pressure by fostering a culture that encourages new faculty to learn, grow, and occasionally stumble without fear of judgment.
Encourage new faculty to observe their colleagues, reflect on their teaching, and ask questions openly. Consider building in low-stakes opportunities for feedback, such as informal peer observations or mid-semester check-ins. Faculty leaders should model transparency by sharing their own stories of early mistakes and lessons learned.
Mentorship can also help normalize the learning process. When mentors and mentees are both held accountable for regular check-ins and end-of-term evaluations, it reinforces the idea that development is a shared responsibility. This collaborative approach builds a team culture where continuous growth is expected, supported, and celebrated.
When programs emphasize growth over perfection, new faculty are more likely to engage in reflective practice, seek mentorship, and take creative risks in the classroom. A learning-centered culture supports not just student development, but faculty development too.
Conclusion
Supporting new nursing faculty requires more than a one-time orientation or a welcome email. It takes intention, structure, and a commitment to creating a learning-centered environment for educators as well as students. The strategies outlined in this article include clarifying roles, providing mentorship, offering practical tools, facilitating professional development, and encouraging continuous learning. These efforts can help programs build a stronger and more confident faculty body.
When institutions invest in the development of their newest instructors, they improve not only faculty retention and satisfaction but also the quality of education delivered to nursing students. A culture that values growth, collaboration, and support create long-term success for individuals, programs, and the profession.
Christine Early, MSN-Ed, RN, is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Entry-Level Master of Science in Nursing program at the University of the Pacific, Schools of Health Sciences where she also studies in the Doctor of Health Sciences program. With a passion for cultivating growth in both nursing students and novice nurse educators, she teaches courses in Nursing Fundamentals and Introductory Health Assessment. Her research focuses on the transition of experienced bedside nurses into academic roles, aiming to improve onboarding, mentorship, and faculty retention.
Dr. Julia VanderMolen is a Professor for the Public Health program at Grand Valley State University and a Visiting Assistant Clinical Professor with the University of the Pacific, School of Health Sciences. Her research examines the benefits of assistive technology for individuals with disabilities in the context of public health. She is an active member of the Disability Section of the American Public Health Association (APHA). Her current research focuses on exploring the health and medical services available to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
