Strengths and Weaknesses of Faculty Teaching Performance Reported by Graduate Nursing Students: A Descriptive Study

Background: Research on graduate-level faculty performance is surprisingly limited yet quality teaching is critically important for students, patients, and the profession. Method: The study purpose was to describe graduate nursing students' perceptions of faculty strengths and weaknesses using retrospective qualitative design. The convenience sample represented 26 graduate didactic and clinical nursing courses taught from Fall 2019 through Spring 2024. Conceptual content analysis per Bengtsson was used to derive themes and subthemes. Results: Perceived performance strengths included: displaying teaching competence, displaying content mastery and competency, demonstrating good communication, promoting critical thinking and intellectual growth, creating a positive learning environment, and exhibiting caring faculty-student relationships. Perceived weaknesses included: delayed communication and feedback, displaying poor organization, displaying uncaring and nonsupportive behaviors, exhibiting weak clinical competence, displaying unprofessional demeanor and behavior, and displaying poor teaching competence. Students had inappropriate assumptions about faculty members' roles. Conclusion: Faculty strengths and weaknesses can inform faculty orientation and development.