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AIM: To explore how nursing students perceive the role of academic education in enabling them to understand factors that can influence the relationship between nurses and patients. METHOD: An exploratory qualitative design, with data collected through unstructured interviews with four pre-registration students enrolled on a degree course in adult nursing. FINDINGS: Participants emphasised the role of reflection in making academic education relevant to practice and in promoting understanding of the relationships they developed with patients. They also valued experiential learning methods used in seminars, for example, case studies, role play and group discussion. CONCLUSION: Academic education plays an important role in fostering understanding of the nurse-patient relationship by promoting a learning approach based on reflection and self-awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]