Background There is a paucity of research on mental health nursing students’ experiences of witnessing physical restraint in practice, despite the fact that they spend half of their time in clinical placements.

Aim To understand the experiences of mental health nursing students who witnessed physical restraint during their clinical placements.

Method Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted remotely with three students from three universities in England. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.

Findings Participants found witnessing physical restraint distressing but had positive experiences of the support provided to them by clinical teams. They felt that receiving some education on physical restraint before their first placement could have reduced their distress and feeling of unpreparedness.

Conclusion In placement settings, clinical teams need to be mindful of students’ support needs after an incident of physical restraint. At university, enhanced education reinforced by simulation and lived experience accounts could better prepare nursing students for witnessing physical restraint in practice.