With the intensification of population aging in China, the prevalence of chronic diseases among the elderly has increased, leading to a growing urgency in the demand for palliative care services among the elderly. Palliative care nursing students are the backbone of high-quality palliative care services, and how to cultivate their cognitive literacy and skills in palliative care is an urgent issue to be addressed. This article, through various methods such as questionnaire surveys and interviews, investigates and analyzes the current problems faced by palliative care nursing students in terms of cognitive literacy and employment intentions, and proposes rational solutions.