Summary•As part of a nursing degree course, one of the authors (M.K.) gathered data on the knowledge and use of lifting techniques among a group of undergraduate student nurses. A 17‐itcm questionnaire was administered to one cohort of 19 third‐year students.•The results show that while they were aware of lifts recommended by the RCN and by other researchers, they reported that they frequently used lifts not recommended by the above sources during their medical placement. This behaviour seemed to mirror the practices of ward staff. Possible explanations for the knowledge‐practice gap ar