Abstract
Health professions students have higher rates of anxiety, depression, and burnout than their peers.1-3 Prior research with undergraduates demonstrates that a sense of mattering is fundamental to student health and psychological well-being, and contributes to academic engagement and resilience.4,5 Nursing organizations, as well as the US Surgeon General, are recognizing the value of this concept in the workplace.6 While research indicates that simple interventions can improve students’ sense of mattering,7 there is no literature identifying how students in academic healthcare communities experience mattering.
Mattering, the perception that one is significant to others, is essential for human flourishing and is characterized by feeling valued and adding value. Given the importance of the learning environment in shaping students’ learning and well-being8,9, we wanted to investigate a more encompassing “culture of mattering” in healthcare education. We define a culture of mattering as one that promotes mattering in all its members and fosters opportunities for every individual to contribute and to feel valued for their contribution, leading to individual and collective well-being, accomplishment, and self-determination. This report is part of a larger study investigating the culture of mattering in healthcare education to inform interventions to improve students’ sense of mattering.
We conducted a mixed-methods study at one nursing school and two medical schools. In open-ended interviews, 41 students discussed their experiences of mattering and not mattering in clinical and classroom settings. We also asked them to provide names of “mattering exemplars” who did an extraordinary job of making them feel as though they mattered. In addition to the students’ stories of exemplar mattering behaviors, we also interviewed 20 of the identified faculty and staff exemplars.
Mattering exemplars (1) foster meaningful connections with their students. This includes engaging their students as learners through connection and relationships; giving their students meaningful feedback; seeing their students as unique, complex, and worthy individuals; displaying kindness and support; and bringing a positive demeanor to their interactions with students. Mattering exemplars also (2) invest time in their students’ learning both in and out of the classroom as well as the clinical environment. They also (3) create safe and positive learning environments with challenging experiences and high expectations. This includes creating inclusive spaces, seeking feedback, and working to improve their teaching. Finally, exemplars (4) prioritize student learning by being skilled clinicians and educators themselves and exhibiting trust in student abilities.
Our work indicates that a sense of mattering truly matters to nursing and medical students. When they have opportunities to contribute to their peers, patients, and teams, they feel a sense of connection, ownership, and mastery. When they feel seen and valued as unique individuals who bring something of worth to their training, they are more likely to thrive. Faculty behaviors that foster mattering, and therefore learning and well-being, are simple and relatively easy to implement. The result is a powerful reciprocity that affects both learners and their teachers.
Notes
Presenter notes available in attached slide deck.
References:
1. Dyrbye LN, West CP, Satele D, Boone S, Tan L, Sloan J, Shanafelt T. Burnout among U.S. medical students, residents, and early career physicians relative to the general U.S. population. Acad Med. 2014;89(3):443. doi:10.1097/ACM.0000000000000134
2. Dyrbye L, Shanafelt T. A narrative review on burnout experienced by medical students and residents. Med Educ. 2016;50(1):132-149. doi:10.1111/medu.12927
3. Wang M, Guan H, Li Y, Xing C, Rui B. Academic burnout and professional self-concept of nursing students: A cross-sectional study. Nurse Educ Today. 2019;77:27-31. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2019.03.004
4. Flett G, Nepon T. Mattering versus self-esteem in university students: Associations with regulatory focus, social feedback, and psychological distress. J Psychoeduc Assess. 2020;38(6):663-674. doi:10.1177/0734282919890786
5. Flett G. The Psychology of Mattering. Academic Press; 2018.
6. The U.S. Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health & Well-Being.; 2022. Accessed September 7, 2023. https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/workplace-well-being/index.html
7. Flett G, Khan A, Su C. Mattering and psychological well-being in college and university students: Review and recommendations for campus-based initiatives. Int J Ment Health Addict. 2019;17(3):667-680. doi:10.1007/s11469-019-00073-6
8. Irby, D.M. Improving environments for learning in the health professions. Proceedings of a conference sponsored by Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation in April, 2018; New York, NY. Accessed June 25, 2023. https://macyfoundation.org/publications/improving-environments-for-learning-in-the-health-professions
9. Gruppen LD, Irby DM, Durning SJ, Maggio LA. Conceptualizing learning environments in the health professions. Acad Med. 2019;94(7):969. doi:10.1097/ACM.0000000000002702
Sigma Membership
Non-member
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Mixed/Multi Method Research
Keywords:
Security (Psychology), Well-Being, Psychological Well-Being, Nursing Students, Medical Students, University Faculty, Mattering
Recommended Citation
May, Natalie B.; Haizlip, Julie; Hall, Katy Marie; and Marcdante, Karen, "Creating a Culture of Mattering in Academic Nursing: Curated Strategies From Faculty Exemplars" (2026). Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE). 125.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2024/presentations_2024/125
Conference Name
Creating Healthy Work Environments
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Washington, DC, USA
Conference Year
2024
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-03-09
Creating a Culture of Mattering in Academic Nursing: Curated Strategies From Faculty Exemplars
Washington, DC, USA
Health professions students have higher rates of anxiety, depression, and burnout than their peers.1-3 Prior research with undergraduates demonstrates that a sense of mattering is fundamental to student health and psychological well-being, and contributes to academic engagement and resilience.4,5 Nursing organizations, as well as the US Surgeon General, are recognizing the value of this concept in the workplace.6 While research indicates that simple interventions can improve students’ sense of mattering,7 there is no literature identifying how students in academic healthcare communities experience mattering.
Mattering, the perception that one is significant to others, is essential for human flourishing and is characterized by feeling valued and adding value. Given the importance of the learning environment in shaping students’ learning and well-being8,9, we wanted to investigate a more encompassing “culture of mattering” in healthcare education. We define a culture of mattering as one that promotes mattering in all its members and fosters opportunities for every individual to contribute and to feel valued for their contribution, leading to individual and collective well-being, accomplishment, and self-determination. This report is part of a larger study investigating the culture of mattering in healthcare education to inform interventions to improve students’ sense of mattering.
We conducted a mixed-methods study at one nursing school and two medical schools. In open-ended interviews, 41 students discussed their experiences of mattering and not mattering in clinical and classroom settings. We also asked them to provide names of “mattering exemplars” who did an extraordinary job of making them feel as though they mattered. In addition to the students’ stories of exemplar mattering behaviors, we also interviewed 20 of the identified faculty and staff exemplars.
Mattering exemplars (1) foster meaningful connections with their students. This includes engaging their students as learners through connection and relationships; giving their students meaningful feedback; seeing their students as unique, complex, and worthy individuals; displaying kindness and support; and bringing a positive demeanor to their interactions with students. Mattering exemplars also (2) invest time in their students’ learning both in and out of the classroom as well as the clinical environment. They also (3) create safe and positive learning environments with challenging experiences and high expectations. This includes creating inclusive spaces, seeking feedback, and working to improve their teaching. Finally, exemplars (4) prioritize student learning by being skilled clinicians and educators themselves and exhibiting trust in student abilities.
Our work indicates that a sense of mattering truly matters to nursing and medical students. When they have opportunities to contribute to their peers, patients, and teams, they feel a sense of connection, ownership, and mastery. When they feel seen and valued as unique individuals who bring something of worth to their training, they are more likely to thrive. Faculty behaviors that foster mattering, and therefore learning and well-being, are simple and relatively easy to implement. The result is a powerful reciprocity that affects both learners and their teachers.
Description
Mattering, the perception that one is significant to others, is essential to human flourishing. In healthcare workers and students, it supports well-being and reduces burnout. We studied mattering in nursing students, medical students, and faculty mattering exemplars to identify specific behaviors that foster a culture of mattering in healthcare education.