Objective <p>This study aimed to explore the association between different personality traits and death-coping self-efficacy of intensive care unit (ICU) nurses.</p> Methods <p>A total of 350 questionnaires were distributed, and 301 valid questionnaires were finally collected. The research tools included a general information questionnaire and a death-coping self-efficacy questionnaire to collect nurses’ demographic information.</p> Results <p>The overall score of ICU nurses’ death-coping self-efficacy was 98.52 ± 18.18, of which the hospice care dimension had the highest score (44.70 ± 8.25) and the grief coping dimension had the lowest score (28.21 ± 6.76). Personality traits of conscientiousness (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001), agreeableness (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) and openness (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) were significantly positively correlated with death-coping self-efficacy, whereas neuroticism was significantly negatively correlated with it (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that whether or not they had participated in palliative care education courses within 1 year (<i>p</i> = 0.022), the experience of accompanying the death of a family member (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001), their attitude towards death (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001), as well as rigour (<i>p</i> = 0.002), agreeableness (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) and openness (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) were important influencing factors of death-coping self-efficacy, with a model determination coefficient <i>R</i>² of 0.373 and an adjusted <i>R</i>² of 0.364.</p> Conclusion <p>The self-efficacy of ICU nurses in coping with death is at a moderate to high level, and different personality traits have a significant impact on their self-efficacy in coping with death. High conscientiousness, agreeableness and openness personality traits help to improve self-efficacy in coping with death, whereas high neuroticism may reduce it.</p> Clinical trial number <p>Not applicable.</p>