Intellectual disability is an important developmental condition that emerges in childhood and often requires long-term care. Because children with intellectual disabilities frequently interact with the healthcare system, nurses’ knowledge and care approaches can directly influence the quality of care provided. Developing knowledge and awareness about intellectual disability during nursing education is essential for delivering compassionate care to these children. This study was conducted using a descriptive and analytical design to examine nursing students’ knowledge regarding children with intellectual disabilities and their levels of self-compassion. The study was carried out with 380 nursing students enrolled at the College of Nursing, University of Al-Qadisiyah in Iraq. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Knowledge Questionnaire on Children with Intellectual Disabilities, and the Self-Compassion Scale. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, Mann–Whitney U test, and Kruskal–Wallis test were used for data analysis. Most participants were aged between 18 and 24 years, female, single, and second-year students. The findings showed a statistically significant relationship between students’ age and both their perceptions of children with intellectual disabilities and their self-compassion levels (p < 0.05). Additionally, nursing students demonstrated moderate levels of knowledge about children with intellectual disabilities and high levels of self-compassion. These findings highlight the importance of strengthening educational content that enhances knowledge and awareness of intellectual disability in nursing education.