Select a medical television series on DVD for your nursing instructor. Choose a season of E.R., House, Scrubs or Grey's Anatomy to show your appreciation and offer her some well-deserved relaxation. Pair the DVD with a box of microwave popcorn and a box of movie-style candy such as chocolate covered raisins or gummy worms. She'll appreciate that you chose a show with a medical theme, which dramatizes the life and death role nurses play on a daily basis.
Commemorate her special role as your mentor by giving your nursing teacher a collectible figurine keepsake. Widely available brands such as Precious Moments and Willow Tree Angels offer small statues on the themes of nursing, healing and teaching. Choose one that is meaningful to you, and enclose a nice card explaining how she has inspired you through her teaching. If you know your instructor to be religious, choose a statue of St. Catherine of Siena, the patron saint of nurses or St. Gregory, the patron saint of teachers.
Both secular and Christian book stores offer a selection of inspirational writings for teachers and nurses. Whether you choose a book of quotes by famous educators or a "Chicken Soup for the Soul" style volume of meditations, be sure to pick a book designed to motivate and honor the reader, not a self-help title. Inscribe the book with the date and a message expressing your gratitude to your nursing instructor.