Background <p>Nursing students face significant academic and emotional stress, which may increase the risk of suicidal ideation. This study examines the relationships between self-regulatory fatigue, experiential avoidance, and suicidal ideation, with a focus on the mediating role of experiential avoidance and the moderating role of negative life events.</p> Methods <p>We conducted a cross-sectional survey with 562 nursing students from a university in Heilongjiang, China. Data were collected using standardized scales: the General Information Questionnaire, Adolescent Suicidal Ideation Scale, Self-Regulatory Fatigue Scale, Acceptance and Action Questionnaire II, and Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist Scale.</p> Results <p>The study revealed a significant total effect of self-regulatory fatigue on suicidal ideation (β = 0.5610,&#xa0;<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001), accounting for 52.26% of the variance. Experiential avoidance partially mediated this relationship, with a significant indirect effect (β = 0.0723, 95% CI [0.0059, 0.1398]), representing 12.89% of the total effect. Self-regulatory fatigue strongly predicted experiential avoidance (β = 0.3567,&#xa0;<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001), which in turn predicted suicidal ideation (β = 0.2028,&#xa0;<i>p</i> &lt; 0.01). Negative life events moderated the first stage of the mediation pathway (self-regulatory fatigue → experiential avoidance), as evidenced by a significant interaction term (β = 0.1097,&#xa0;<i>p</i> = 0.0063). The moderated mediation model explained 57.92% of the variance in experiential avoidance.</p> Conclusion <p>Self-regulatory fatigue is significantly associated with suicidal ideation in nursing students, both directly and through the mediating role of experiential avoidance. Negative life events amplify this association. These findings highlight the importance of enhancing emotional regulation and coping strategies within nursing education to reduce the risk of suicidal ideation.</p>