The cultivation of new nursing professionals focuses on improving their ability to apply knowledge and innovate. Research-based teaching has shown its special potential in cultivating students’ creative thinking and innovation capabilities. Research-based teaching, which is grounded in practice, emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, and highlights innovation, has shown significant effectiveness in cultivating students’ creative thinking and innovation capabilities. However, the advancement of research-oriented teaching in nursing education is currently slow, facing challenges such as low student engagement, insufficient teaching resources, and significant variations in implementation. There is an urgent need to systematically promote reforms in areas such as stimulating student initiative, enhancing the professional development of faculty, standardizing teaching practices, and improving foundational support mechanisms.