A Global Circle of Care: How WhatsApp is Changing Palliative Nursing!
Together, Connected, and Never Alone…
– Mr. Sachin Dwivedi, Rishikesh
In the quiet moments of a hospital ward or a remote clinic, palliative care nurses often face some of the most challenging situations in healthcare. Yet across the globe, a new kind of support network is emerging—one that fits in your pocket, travels across time zones, and bridges continents.
The Global Palliative Nursing Network (GPNN) has launched a series of WhatsApp communities designed specifically for nurses in palliative care. These aren’t just messaging groups—they are living ecosystems: places of belonging, spaces of safety, and sources of professional and emotional strength.
Reconnecting Across Borders
For Janane in Lebanon and Xuan in Taiwan, GPNN became more than a professional network. Twelve years after their paths first crossed, they reconnected through the WhatsApp group. Discovering they were both attending EAPC2025, they met in person—proof that shared commitment and practice can forge lasting global bonds.
Support in Real Time
Whether caring for a patient in a bustling city hospital or a remote rural clinic, nurses are finding real-time support in these groups.
“We are currently caring for a 94-year-old patient with dementia, receiving long-term enteral feeding and frequent respiratory infections. I posted a message at 5:00 PM. By 5:15, I had thoughtful, supportive replies from three nurses. I was moved to tears—not by the situation, but by the solidarity.”
— Niraj Tiwari, Nurse, India.
It’s this immediacy, this instant connection to someone who truly understands, that makes the network so powerful.
Sharing Knowledge, Finding Answers
In the Educational & Research Resources Group, nurses exchange clinical guidelines, training modules, and practical advice. Questions that might have taken days to answer can now be resolved in minutes.
“Does anyone have guidance on working with MND in palliative care? Especially training family caregivers around breathlessness or choking?”
— Kerene, Nurse, South Africa.
Pediatric Palliative Care: A Growing Community
One of the network’s fastest-growing groups focuses on pediatric palliative care. In just days, more than 120 nurses from Kenya, Kerala, and beyond joined to exchange resources, advice, and personal stories, navigating the unique challenges of caring for children.
“I struggle to explain pediatric palliative care myths and truths to my team. I want to empower my colleagues here in the Philippines.”
— Coy, Nurse, Philippines.
Kenyan nurses contributed their national Pediatric Palliative Care Guidebook, providing a valuable reference for colleagues worldwide—a concrete example of knowledge crossing borders.
A Safe Space for Hard Questions
Another group, Ask Your Questions, has become a trusted place for nurses to bring up difficult clinical or emotional issues.
“I asked how to care for a transgender patient in palliative care. I was afraid of saying the wrong thing. The responses I received were gentle, respectful, and informative.”
— Nurse, Philippines.
A Circle of Care That Spans the Globe
These WhatsApp groups may seem simple, but they represent something profound: nurses supporting nurses, across language, geography, and experience. They offer not just knowledge, but human connection—a global circle of care that makes every shift a little lighter and every challenge a little more manageable.
As GPNN continues to grow, so does the potential of what palliative nurses can achieve—together, connected, and never alone.
Nurses from across the globe are invited to join GPNN. Please click here for details.
(This article is a slightly modified republication of the original piece, published on the St. Christopher’s Hospice website, reproduced here with the author’s permission.)
About the Author:
Mr. Sachin Dwivedi, a registered nurse and clinical instructor, currently serves at the College of Nursing, AIIMS Rishikesh, India. His journey into palliative care was inspired by a personal experience providing support to a loved one at home. This experience sparked his deep interest in the field, motivating him to pursue training in palliative care and develop his skills as a palliative care professional. He has completed IAPC’s Certificate Course in the Essentials of Palliative Care, and the International Fellowship in Palliative Care jointly organised by the Institute of Palliative Medicine, Kerala, St. Christopher’s Hospice London, Sanjeevan Pondicherry, and BSMMU Bangladesh, and continues to extend compassionate care to those in need.