Objective To explore the relationship between death coping self-efficacy and health personality traits among nursing students and identify influencing factors.Methods Using convenience sampling, a questionnaire survey was conducted among nursing students from two higher vocational colleges in Fujian Province from January to June 2024, employing the Health Personality Assessment, and the Death Coping Self-Efficacy Scale.Results (1) The total death coping self-efficacy score of the 1,008 nursing students was (93.25 ± 14.84). (2) Nursing students" death coping self-efficacy was negatively correlated with health agreeableness (r=-0.272, P<0.01) and positively correlated with health neuroticism, health extraversion, health openness, and health conscientiousness (r= 0.198, 0.342, 0.518, 0.547, all P<0.01). Multiple linear regression analysis results indicate that the frequency of participating in hospice care education courses within one year, health neuroticism, health extraversion, health openness, and health conscientiousness are influencing factors for nursing students" death coping self-efficacy (all P<0.01).Conclusion The death coping self-efficacy of higher vocational nursing students is at a moderate level. Nursing educators can adopt targeted measures based on the influencing factors of death coping self-efficacy and the predictive role of health personality traits to improve nursing students" death coping self-efficacy.