Student relationships: How building strong relationships can set you apart

It can be easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day of running a school, so it’s important to step back and look at your school from a wider lens. One important way that you can deliver value to your students is by investing in building a relationship with them.

Why strong student relationships benefit your school

There are many benefits that can come from having strong relationships with students, including:

• Students are more likely to return to your school - When students have a good experience at your school, they’re likely to continue coming back for additional classes like Phlebotomy Technician (CPT), EKG Technician (CET), or Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVN). This can create a loyal customer base that keeps you in business for years—and even decades!
• Students are more likely to refer new students to your school - Referrals are one of the best ways to grow as a business, so it’s important that you do whatever you can to encourage referrals from current clients! One way is by building strong relationships with them—which we mentioned above has many benefits.
• Students will share their positive experiences with others on social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter (or review sites like Google Reviews) - The more positive reviews out there about your school, the better chance it has at growing its brand awareness while attracting new customers who want similar experiences as your previous students.
  According to Forbes, people are more likely to remember a bad customer experience. People share good customer service experiences with up to nine people on average but will talk about a bad one to up to 16 people. We want to make sure that the experience they share are mostly positive. 

Set them up for success with a strong orientation or school visit/tour experience

Orientation and school visits are excellent opportunities to welcome new students. As a school leader, you can easily set the tone for their experience by planning activities that help them learn how to succeed as a CNA

Some great cover topics:

• The role of a certified nursing aide in health care today
• What kind of responsibilities CNAs typically have in their day-to-day jobs
• How CNAs can expect their careers to evolve over time (if they want them to)
• What tools and resources are available in the classrooms (in-person or online) so that students feel prepared for real-world scenarios

Learn about their goals and career aspirations 

A great way to build relationships with students is by helping them achieve their goals. Most students have some sort of career aspiration, and they're willing to work hard toward those goals. Consider yourself a mentor who's invested in the success and happiness of your student 

Making sure your students have an opportunity to reach their potential will benefit both them and your school as a whole. When students feel supported, they are more likely to excel. If your school produces excellent CNAs, then there’s a higher chance that you’ll be recommended by others

Provide flexible & extra sessions for them to pass their state exam.

Some students take time to catch up with lessons and being able to guide them to ensure that they pass their state exam is a great way of building student relationships. If you’ll go an extra mile for them, chances are they will do the same in promoting your school. 

Check-in on your students after they graduate  

Offer them continued support with their career, give them tips on how to pass interviews. Knowing that a lot of your students are hired after graduating from your class is a great achievement and a great way to promote your school. 

Get more social 

If you have a lively school with happy students, be sure to share about successful cohorts of students on social media. Showcase how CNA can both enjoy and excel in the medical field through your classes.

Use it as a platform to connect with your students and show that you care about them by sharing their achievements. If they were the top of their class, create printed recognizions for them. Students love sharing pictures, videos, and stories on social media because it makes them feel part of something important. It would also increase your audience reach.

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Studies show that for every 1 student who has a happy experience with your school, they refer up to 8 students over the course of their lifetime. 

Building strong relationships with your students is one of the most effective ways to ensure their success in school and beyond. Just remember that if you want to make these relationships last, it’s not enough to just provide them with a good education – you need to connect with them on a personal level too. 

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