Attitudes and knowledge of palliative care of Chinese undergraduate nursing students: A multicenter cross-sectional study

•Undergraduate nursing students in China lacked knowledge of and held a neutral attitude towards palliative care.•There was a positive correlation between their scores on attitudes and knowledge.•Nurse educators need to integrate the concept of palliative care into the curriculum of nursing education programs.•Nurse leaders in practice settings should increase investment in training to develop high-quality palliative care teams.