ObjectiveTo explore if flipped classroom in the perspective of student-based education can improve clinical communication skills of student practical nurses in clinical practice. MethodsNursing undergraduate students who practised in a top-level comprehensive hospital between July 2014 and April 2015 were included in this study as the research subjects. Eighty-five student nurses were randomly divided into observation group (n=43) and control group (n=42). Students of the observation group participated in the flipped classroom in the perspective of student-based education, while students of the control group took routine clinical practice. The clinical communication skills of the students in the two groups before and after intervention were measured by using questionnaire survey. ResultsThere were significant improvement in verification experience, effective information delivery, patient problems identifying, listening acuity, harmonious relationship building and joint participation for students in the observation group (P < 0.05). ConclusionsFlipped classroom in the perspective of student-based education can effectively improve clinical communication skills for student practical nurses. It can be used as a method of communication ability training for undergraduate nursing students in clinical practice.