Implications for practice

• Student nurses’ trust of nurse educators is dependent on faculty demonstration of care, commitment, competence and professionalism.

• Larger-scale studies of factors influencing student nurses’ trust in faculty members—and the impact of trust on outcomes—are required, with utilisation of both qualitative and quantitative approaches.

Context

The professional relationship between nurse educators and nursing students is an important factor in enhancing the academic and clinical development of learners. As a result, researchers have sought to understand the relationship more fully, including factors such as power dynamics1 and the importance of effective relationships in promoting a sense of ‘belonging’ among students.2 The study by Varagona and Hold3 extends this …