Increasing concerns about nursing students’ mental health and the retention crisis facing nursing mean it is essential that staff working in nurse education develop effective responses to enable nursing students to acquire the skills, strategies and confidence that will sustain them throughout their education and beyond. The principles and interventions of solution-focused brief therapy can be applied in nurse education. The authors outline a solution-oriented learning (SOL) model and argue that it has the potential to build intrinsic motivation, promote deeper learning, strengthen support networks and empower nursing students. The SOL approach can be incorporated into a range of active learning experiences so that, over time, nursing students learn the SOL strategies and can use them independently to address broader personal and professional learning needs. The ability to take a positive, optimistic and structured approach may contribute to building resilience and sustaining nurses post-qualification, therefore contributing to nurse retention.