Introduction. Comprehensive care for patients who no longer respond to treatment procedures is called palliative care. Palliative medicine does not delay or accelerate death, it promotes life, and considers dying as a normal process. In palliative medicine and care there is no place for hierarchy - teamwork, focus on the patient and respect for his autonomy are what is important. Aim. The conducted research shows the knowledge of nurses about palliative care at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels of health care. Methods. Prospective research in the Republic of Croatia at three levels of health care has been conducted. The sample included 150 nurses. The instrument used in the study was the Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing (PCQN). Results. The results showed that the nurses’ knowledge of palliative care is insufficient among the nursing population. Despite numerous training activities conducted over the past ten years, levels of knowledge are still lower than expected. Nurses at the primary level of health care have far greater knowledge than nurses at secondary and tertiary levels. Conclusion. Results of the study showed the need for quality education with real-life examples in order to achieve higher levels of empathy, spread knowledge about palliative care and about the importance of care for palliative patients. It is recommended to increase the number of educational activities in small groups, in the local language, adaptable and understandable to all health professionals.