Coping with death is essential for nursing students’ professional identity and sense of life meaning, both crucial for delivering quality end-of-life care. This cross-sectional study used a convenience sampling method to survey 327 nursing undergraduates from 2 universities in Hangzhou, China, during March 30th and April 2025. The mean death coping ability score was 40.78, with significant positive correlations observed with meaning in life (r = 0.285), professional identity (r = 0.308), and resilience (r = 0.462; all p < 0.01). The relationship between meaning in life and death coping ability was accounted for by the indirect effect of resilience. Our findings underscore the importance of cultivating resilience and emotional competence in nursing education to enhance students’ preparedness for end-of-life care challenges.
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