Day in the life
A Day in the Life of a Nursing Instructor
What nursing instructors actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
What is a typical day like for a nursing instructor?
Meet students on a hospital unit. From there, the day usually includes teach nursing courses, run skills and simulation labs, and supervise clinical rotations. Clinical days start early; teaching and grading fill the rest.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for a nursing instructor working full time.
- Meet students on a hospital unit.
- Supervise medication passes.
- Run a post-conference.
- Teach pharmacology.
- Run a simulation lab.
- Meet a struggling student.
- Grade care plans.
Where nursing instructors work
Instructors work in classrooms, simulation labs and hospitals.
Hours and schedule
Clinical days start early; teaching and grading fill the rest.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Teach nursing courses
- Run skills and simulation labs
- Supervise clinical rotations
- Prepare students for the NCLEX
- Evaluate student competency
- Develop curricula
- Mentor students
Tools you’ll use every day
- Simulation mannequins
- Electronic health records
- Learning management systems
- NCLEX prep systems
- Skills lab equipment
- Video debriefing
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- Much faster-than-average growth
- Faculty shortage means openings
- Shape future nurses
- Mix of teaching and clinical
What’s hard
- Lower pay than some clinical roles
- Early clinical days
- Grading load
- NCLEX pressure
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I’m an experienced nurse
- I love teaching
- I’m patient with students
- I want to shape nursing
- I like structure
- I want steady demand
Not sure? Take the free Nursing Instructor fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Supervise students closely
- Follow infection control
- Protect patient privacy
- Report safety events