The existing literature on research ability among clinical nurses in tertiary hospitals in well-developed areas in China is sparse. The aim of this study is to explore the level of research ability and its determinants among clinical nurses in China. A cross-sectional survey was conducted and a total of 627 registered clinical nurses were recruited and surveyed with the Scale of Nursing Scientific Research ability. T-test and One-way ANOVA were used in this study.Quantitative results showed that the mean scores for the research ability was 49.64 (SD 23.60, range 0～120). 559 (89.2%) nurses had weak research ability and 68 (10.8%) had high level of research ability. After adjustment for confounding by multiple linear regressions, this study also demonstrated that determinants including the frequency of reading nursing research articles and the number of participating in research projects were independently associated with research ability.