Background <p>Clinical internships are a crucial component of nursing education, offering students the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge in a clinical setting. Patient falls represent a common issue in hospitals and are a central focus of patient safety management. Enhancing nursing students’ proficiency in fall prevention education during their internships is essential for advancing patient safety and improving future care quality.</p> Methods <p>This study involved 159 nursing students who were randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group. The experimental group, consisting of 80 students, participated in a three-step training mode labeled ‘teach, exercise, and practice’ Meanwhile, the remaining 79 students in the control group received training through traditional teaching methods. Both groups underwent training to enhance their skills in fall prevention education. Following the training, assessments included a theoretical examination, an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), and a teaching satisfaction survey. Data collected were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test and χ² test.</p> Results <p>In the theoretical examination, both the experimental group and the control group demonstrated equivalent effectiveness, with significant improvements post-intervention; however, no significant differences were observed between the two groups (<i>P</i> = 0.884). In the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), the experimental group performed notably better in several areas: evaluation of patients and their families (<i>P</i> = 0.044), environmental assessment and education (<i>P</i> = 0.003), education on patient mobility out of bed (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.001), and communication skills (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.001). Regarding satisfaction, the experimental group, which followed the “teaching, exercising, and practicing” three-step training mode, reported higher levels of satisfaction (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.001).</p> Conclusion <p>Compared to traditional teaching methods, the “teaching, exercising, and practicing” three-step training mode reinforces the knowledge among internship nursing students regarding risk assessment for falls and strengthens their ability to provide health education on fall prevention. It enhances the satisfaction of nursing students with their training. Furthermore, it facilitates the integration of fall prevention theory with clinical practice for internship nursing students, thereby improving their proficiency in delivering fall prevention education.</p> Clinical trail number <p>Not applicable.</p>