Abstract:Objective To study the teaching effect of the experiential teaching method in teaching of basic nursing and discuss the effective way to promote the capability of humanistic caring of college nursing students. Methods This study used the experimental method. Two classes of nursing undergraduates of grade 2016 of a college were selected as subjects by cluster sampling. The students in one class were randomly assigned as experimental group with 41 nursing students (34 females and 7 males), and the other class was as control group with 41 students (34 females and 7 males). The experiential teaching method was used in teaching of fundamental nursing in the experimental group, and the traditional teaching method was for the control group. At the end of the semester, the students’ scores of capability of humanistic caring were compared between the two groups. Meanwhile the teaching effect was tested. Results The scores of capability of humanistic caring in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). In the experimental group, the post-experimental scores of capability of humanistic caring were higher than the pre-experimental scores (P < 0.05). In the control group, there was no significant difference between the post-experimental and the pre-experimental scores (P > 0.05). And the effect of the experience teaching was affirmed fully by the experimental group. Conclusions Experiential teaching method can significantly improve the application ability of humanistic knowledge and the ability of expression of college nursing students. Meanwhile, thorough comprehension of humanistic knowledge, increased capability of humanistic caring and more interest in operant skill are noticed.