A self-completed, anonymous questionnaire survey, involving 63 third-year students of University A who had undergone adult (acute care) nursing training, was conducted to examine their successful experiences, and qualitative and inductive analyses of the responses were performed. The response rate was 69.8% (44 students). Students’ successful experiences included recognition of: [the positive effects of specific preoperative advice], [the positive effects of specific rehabilitation training], [the positive effects of specific lifestyle advice], [being trusted by patients by paying close attention to their feelings], [patients’ positive reactions to nursing practice], and [their own growth through acquiring experience]. Most of their experiences were related to the preoperative and convalescent periods, and not the acute period immediately after surgery. Their successful experiences varied depending on the clinical department attended by their patients and status of the progress of training. Immediately following surgery in particular, when it is more difficult to have successful experiences, it is necessary for teachers and clinical training instructors to collaborate with each other to provide students with support according to the characteristics of the clinical department attended by their patients and students’ readiness.