Objective To investigate nursing interns′ perception on patient safety, and explore its relationship with empathy and clinical learning environment, and provide the basis for management of nursing interns′perception on patient safety. Methods A total of 320 nursing interns were selected by convenience sampling method, and then measured with the Jefferson Scale of Empathy, Clinical Learning Environment Scale and Health Professional Education in Patient Safety Survey. Results Nursing interns′ perception on patient safety scored （57.75±10.34） points. Clinical learning environment total and dimension scores, and empathy total and dimension scores, were positively correlated with nursing interns′ perception on patient safety （P＜0.05,P＜0.01）. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the quality of teachers,learning opportunities, teaching methods,perspective-taking and working atmosphere affected nursing interns′ perception on patient safety （P＜0.05,P＜0.01） and explained 32.6% of the total variation. Structural equation model analysis revealed that clinical learning environment worked on nursing interns′ perceived patient safety through the partial mediating role of empathy, with the total effect of 0.21, and the indirect effect of 0.04 (P＜0.05 for both). Conclusion Nursing interns′ perception on patient safety needs to be improved, and clinical learning environment can play a role on perceived patient safety through the mediating effect of empathy. Nursing educators and administrators should take various mea-sures to improve the levels of clinical learning environment and empathy of nursing interns,and then promote nursing interns′perception on patient safety.