Objective: To know the perception of academics and nursing staff about the extension project "Walking through the hospital".
Method: Qualitative study conducted in a Brazilian university hospital from November/2019 to April/2022 with nursing students and professionals participating in a university extension project. Data were collected using instruments on the Google Forms® platform and submitted to Content Thematic Analysis. The project was approved by the Ethics Committee.
Results: Fifteen academics, four nurses and six nursing technicians participated in the study. Four categories emerged from the analysis: "Knowing the hospital environment/dynamics", "Articulation between theory and practice","Bond between academics and health care professionals" and "Work process in the unit".
Final considerations: The findings highlight the importance of university extension in providing knowledge and experienceof hospital clinical practice, which can contribute to strengthening teaching and academic training in nursing.