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Abstract Aim This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of lateral violence (LV) experienced by nursing students during their internship, explore the difference between professional identity and professionalism among nursing students who had or had not experienced LV and analyse the mediating effect of professional identity on the relationship between LV and professionalism. Design A cross‐sectional survey was used. Methods An online anonymous survey was distributed to nursing students (N = 298) in Jiangsu province, China from June to July 2021. The questionnaire consisted of sections on lateral violence, professional identity and nursing professionalism. Results Approximately 49.7% of the nursing students experienced LV behaviour during the internship period. Students who experienced LV had lower professional identity and professionalism than those who did not. Among the students, LV was negatively correlated with professional identity (r = −0.333, p < 0.001) and professionalism (r = −0.418, p < 0.001). The relationship effect of LV on nursing professionalism was partly mediated by professional identity. Conclusion Nearly half of the nursing students suffered from LV in the workplace, and this condition remarkably influenced nursing professionalism through professional identity. Both quantitative and qualitative studies are needed to investigate the factors that influence LV development in detail.