Objective To evaluate the adoption intention of nursing educators and students to adopt virtual reality (VR) technology, and to analyze the influencing factors, so as to provide a reference for generalizing the application of VR in nursing education. Methods A total of 222 clinical nursing educators and 223 undergraduate nursing students were recruited through convenience sampling. Then they were investigated by using sociodemographic questionnaires, and self-designed VR technology adoption intention and the influencing factors questionnaires for educators and students respectively. Results The mean scores of VR technology adoption intention among nursing educators and students were (3.87±0.85) and (3.90±0.53), respectively. Influencing factors for educators′ adoption intention included performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions (all P<0.05). For nursing students, the influencing factors included perceived usefulness, immersion experience, facilitating conditions, and subjective norms, with computer self-efficacy exerting an indirect influence through immersion experience (all P<0.05). Conclusion There remains potential for enhancing nursing educators and students′ intention to adopt VR technology, and the intention is influenced by multiple factors. It is imperative to develop personalized technology experiences tailored to different user groups, so as to enhance their adoption intention.