To assess undergraduate nursing students' understanding of the flipped classroom model, facilitate its integration into nursing education, and support its implementation and reform.The in-depth interview method of phenomenological research was used to interview 10 undergraduate nursing students during their course on 15 January 2024 in the classroom. The Colaizzi analysis method was employed for the data analysis.Students' cognition of the flipped classroom model highlights three main aspects: limitations of traditional education, improved understanding of the flipped classroom despite its infrequent use in higher education, and its potential benefits, including increased learning interest, better learning outcomes, enhanced language skills, improved nursing research abilities, and stronger emotional connections between teachers and students. Challenges include increased workload, low self-discipline in self-directed learning, classroom time inefficiencies, and difficulty replacing traditional teacher-led instruction. The cognition of the flipped classroom among undergraduate nursing students can be summarised into three aspects: the restraints posed by traditional education models; the improvement in students' understanding of the flipped classroom model - although its usage in college education is still rare; and the model's potential to enhance learning interest, improve learning outcomes, foster language skills, enhance nursing research capabilities, and increase emotional interaction between teachers and students. However, several challenges persist, such as increased learning burdens, low student self-discipline in self-directed learning, substantial time wastage in class, and the difficulty of substituting traditional teacher-led instructions.The ongoing updates in educational models suggest that the flipped classroom model is conducive to improving learning outcomes and promoting the effective integration of theory and practice. However, further enhancements to this model are needed as it continues to be applied.© 2024. The Author(s).