Professional identity is an important and universal concept in the field of nursing because it not only affects nurses' perceptions of their role in nursing, but it also affects retention rates. However, the influential factors that impact the professional identity of nursing students currently are not well known.This exploratory study aims to investigate the concept of professional identity and confirm its influencing factors among post-associate degree baccalaureate nursing students in China.We conducted a cross-sectional study of 198 first-year post-associate degree baccalaureate nursing students enrolled in full-time study at two provincial medical colleges in China. We used paper and pencil questionnaires to conduct the survey and obtain the results used in this study.The overall mean score for 'professional identity' of the sample was 3.63 ± 0.62 on a scale of 1 through 5, with the means for the five dimensions of professional identity ranging from 3.29 to 4.02. A clinical learning experience that is longer than eight months (ref. = 8 months) (β = 0.138, p < 0.036) and a positive perception of the clinical learning environment (β = 0.476, p < 0.001) are the dominant factors that we found to be positively associated with professional identity.Nurse educators should investigate the factors that influence professional identity among their students to help develop a stable and satisfied nursing workforce.