Introduction: Palliative care is a specialized medical approach focused on providing relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress of serious illness, with the goal of improving quality of life for both patients and their families. Unlike traditional medical treatment aimed at curing an illness, palliative care prioritizes comfort, emotional wellbeing and holistic support and it can be provided alongside curative treatments. Educating health personnel about palliative care is crucial because it enables them to effectively manage symptoms, provide emotional support, and improve the quality of life for patients facing serious illnesses, especially at the end of life, by addressing not just physical needs but also psychological, social and spiritual concerns, ultimately leading to better patient care and family satisfaction. According to World Health Organization, an estimated 14% of people who need palliative care globally actually receive it, meaning that a significant proportion of patients requiring palliative care are not admitted to such service, despite the need being present for around 56.8 million people annually. In India, less than 1-2% of the population need palliative care receive it, significantly lower than the global average of around 14%.

Objectives: To assess the pre-test knowledge regarding palliative care among first year B. Sc nursing students using structured knowledge questionnaire. To evaluate the effectiveness of planned teaching program on knowledge regarding palliative care among first year B. Sc nursing students in terms of gain in mean post test knowledge score.

Methodology: A pre-experimental one group pre-test post-test design was used for the study. Simple Random sampling technique was used to select the samples for the study. The sample consists of 50 students studying in first year B.Sc. Nursing. Before the PTP pre-test was done using structured knowledge questionnaire. On the seventh day post test was conducted with the same structured knowledge questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: The mean post test knowledge score obtained (24.9) was higher than mean pre-test knowledge score (18.42). The computed ‘t’ value 12.09 was higher than the table value (t49= 2.02), at p<0.05 showed that there was a significant difference in the pre-test and post test knowledge score regarding palliative care. Therefore, it is inferred that the planned teaching programme was effective in increasing the knowledge of students regarding palliative care.

Conclusion: A pre-experimental one group pre-test post-test design was used for the study. Simple Random sampling technique was used to select the samples for the study. The sample consists of 50 students studying in first year B.Sc. Nursing. After the PTP pre-test was done using structured knowledge questionnaire. On the seventh day post test was conducted with the same structured knowledge questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics.