Objective To design a narrative nursing training program based on case-based learning that is applicable for pre-practice nursing students and to explore the effect on nursing students’ empathy capacity. Methods In June 2022，a convenience sample of 72 undergraduate nursing students was selected as participants before their participation in clinical practice in a grade Ⅲ hospital in Shanxi Province. The training included five teaching topics：overview of narrative care，ways to focus on patients，strategies to understand patients，ways to respond to patients，and case sharing of narrative care. Through case micro-projects，multiple teaching methods were employed including case teaching，collaborative learning，fine reading，and reflective diary. Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy for nursing students and personal reflective reports were used for evaluation. Results After the training，the scores on the dimension of perspective taking and trans-personal thinking and the total score of the scale were higher than before the training，and the difference was statistically significant（P<0.05）. The analysis of the personal reflection report showed that the students found the knowledge of narrative care were practical and valuable. Meanwhile，more understanding about others，respecting others and maintaining kindness were gained through the training. Conclusion The content and methods of this narrative nursing training are practical and can improve nursing students’ empathy before clinical practice.