Aim This article considers findings from a narrative research analysis that illustrate what nursing students can reveal about being mentored through their stories of clinical practice experience. The aim is to advocate the use of stories as tools to assist mentors in their roles, and to express to them students’ concerns, sensitivities and priorities about clinical placement experiences. The findings are extracted from the author’s unpublished doctoral thesis Learning from Practice: The Value of Story in Nurse Education (Edwards 2013).

Method The data are drawn from nursing students’ stories about clinical practice experiences when engaged in the care of patients, and their perceived learning from them.

Results Findings suggest stories can help develop understanding of nursing students’ concerns, sensitivities and priorities, and can support mentors’ important roles in students’ learning.

Conclusion The article illustrates the value of stories as learning tools in the workplace and, by looking at nursing students’ stories about clinical practice, shows that paying attention to their concerns, sensitivities and priorities can improve the already significant role played by mentors in student learning.