BACKGROUND: Provision of palliative care in acute care settings is significantly lacking despite evidence that early integration leads to better patient/family-related outcomes and improved healthcare cost and efficiency. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated influencing factors that affect the nature and frequency of palliative care practices of acute care nurses. METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional design was used to examine the effects of personal and environmental factors on nurses' palliative care practices in the acute care setting. Registered nurses ( RESULTS: The final regression model with demographics, personal factors, and environmental factors accounted for 32.1% of the variance in the frequency of nurses' self-reported palliative care practices and was significant ( CONCLUSIONS: Personal factors, especially self-efficacy and attitudes toward care of the dying, are the most significant influencing factors to the frequency of acute care nurses' palliative care practices.