BACKGROUND: Nursing students are particularly susceptible to bullying due to their younger age, limited social experience, and less developed psychological resilience. OBJECTIVES: To analyze nursing students' current state of bullying and coping resources, analyzing their relevance. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study using a web survey. SETTINGS: The study was conducted in six nursing schools in Hubei, Guangdong, and Gansu Provinces, China. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 526 valid responses were obtained from January and March 2024. METHODS: Data were collected using questionnaires for background data, the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised, the Hospital Workplace Violence Questionnaire, and the Workplace Violence Coping Resources Scale. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, Spearman's correlation analysis, and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: The score for workplace bullying among nursing students during clinical placement was 26.00 (22.00, 37.00), indicating a mild level compared to the total median score of 55 on the scale. Of the 526 respondents, 306 (58.17 %) reported experiencing bullying during this period. The score for nursing students' coping resources was 60.00 (50.00, 69.25), indicating a medium-to-low level compared with the scale's total median score of 60. There was a negative correlation between workplace bullying and coping resources (r CONCLUSION: Nursing students were found to experience significant levels of bullying during clinical placements alongside moderate coping resources. The adequacy of these coping resources was closely linked to the incidence of bullying. To address this issue effectively, nursing education should focus on the contributing factors, promote a culture of safety, and enhance the coping resources available to students. These efforts are essential for the prevention and mitigation of bullying, ultimately fostering a supportive and empowering learning environment for prospective nurses.