Theory-informed storytelling for leadership learning in undergraduate nursing education: A qualitative study of first-year nursing students.

BACKGROUND: Leadership is increasingly recognized as a core competency in nursing practice and education. However, leadership education is often introduced in the later stages of undergraduate nursing programs, leaving students uncertain about how leadership applies to clinical practice. Innovative pedagogical approaches are therefore needed to support early leadership development. Storytelling may provide opportunities for students to engage with authentic professional experiences, reflect on leadership behaviours, and connect leadership concepts with future nursing practice. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore first-year nursing students' learning experiences following participation in a theory-informed storytelling-based leadership education session, with particular attention to how they understood nursing leadership and reflected on leadership in their future professional roles. METHOD: A qualitative descriptive design was used to evaluate a storytelling-based leadership learning activity implemented in an undergraduate nursing program. The intervention consisted of a two-hour face-to-face educational session in which two nurse academics shared their professional leadership experiences through structured storytelling and discussion. Storytelling was used as the pedagogical strategy, with experiential learning theory informing the reflective learning process and social learning theory informing the role-modelling component of the session. Data were collected from 58 first-year nursing students through a written questionnaire consisting of nine open-ended questions and analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Four main themes emerged from the analysis: (1) reframing leadership perceptions through leadership stories, (2) leadership as a learnable and developable competency, (3) leadership readiness for future professional roles, (4) translating leadership learning into nursing practice. Students described leadership as extending beyond formal managerial roles and recognized its relevance to clinical practice, teamwork, and patient care. Students also identified leadership as a competency that can be developed through experience and professional learning. CONCLUSION: Storytelling-based educational interventions may support nursing students' understanding of leadership by connecting leadership concepts with authentic professional experiences. Such approaches may foster early leadership awareness and help students consider how leadership relates to their future professional nursing roles.