Abstract: The construction of high-order plate element shape functions is complex, while lower-order plate elements have low accuracy and are generally not suitable for thin plates. In order to improve the shear self-locking phenomenon of general plate elements, a nonconforming mixed bending element (NGME) which only requires C₀ continuity is proposed by the generalized mixed variational principle and Mindlin plate theory. As a mixed element, the element facilitates the introduction of stress boundary conditions and lays the foundation for the improvement of the accuracy of the numerical results. Several numerical examples have showed that the element has the capability of stable convergence and is suitable for thin plate problems. In the irregular mesh model, the numerical results are highly accurate. Compared with traditional Mindlin plate elements, the thickness to span ratio of this element has a wide application range.