Background: The fundamental nursing practicum is the foundation for initial practice among nursing students, deeply affecting their clinical performance and workplace adaptation. Purpose: To explore the lived experience of clinical practice for students of a 4-year nursing program at a university of technology in central Taiwan. Methods: This study used a phenomenological methodology. Ten participants from a 4-year nursing program at a university of technology were recruited. Data were collected through nonstructured, in-depth, and one-on-one interviews. Colaizzi's phenomenological method of data analysis was used to explore the nursing students' lived experiences. Results: The results included three themes and nine subthemes: (1) hardship and suffering stage: physical strain, inner shock, and experiencing the hard reality of nursing; (2) competency refinement stage: nursing, caring, and social skill development; and (3) growth and change stage: learning coping strategies, awareness and reflection, and the values of nursing. Conclusion: Nursing students passed through all three stages-hardship and suffering, competency refinement, and growth and change-during the fundamental nursing practicum. They refined their nursing, caring, and social skills through practical experience. In the final stage, the nursing students learned to adapt and cope with stress, becoming more self-aware and finding new enthusiasm for nursing. The results of this study can serve as a reference for nursing students, educators, and instructors.