Every corner of the globe has been profoundly affected by COVID-19. Humanity will long be impacted by the shortcomings of healthcare systems and leadership, as well as the cumulative loss of life and mass bereavement that continue to mount. Nurses on every continent have undoubtedly struggled with moral injury in the face of severe resource constraints and health inequities. The consequences of COVID-19—coupled with an increased and urgent discourse pertaining to social and structural injustices—create opportunities for palliative nurses to pave new paths forward for the specialty and for the communities we serve.

Although the past 2 years have marked a period of immense suffering, it has also been a time to recognise and celebrate the roles of palliative nurses worldwide (Downing, 2021). Guided by the World Health Organization's State of the World's Nursing 2020 report (WHO, 2020), and the WHO Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery 2021–2025 (WHO, 2021), it is imperative that administrative and policy leaders support nurses and their interprofessional partners with the resources necessary to develop palliative care programmes and expand access to symptom management and psychosocial services, starting from the time of diagnosis of a serious illness and continuing into bereavement. Priority must be given to initiatives that will optimise the capacity and capability of the nursing workforce to close the global pain and palliative care divide for historically excluded populations, such as the poor, other minoritised groups and children (Rosa et al, 2021a). As palliative care nurses apply technological advancements in their work, such as tele-palliative care delivery, it will be important to address the myriad barriers that have been created for many communities who may not have access to the technology. Clinical models should consider the implications of telehealth services for people of cultural backgrounds who prioritise face-to-face engagement to build rapport and foster relationship-based care.

Just as palliative care has been identified as a fundamental component of primary health care (WHO, 2018) and universal health coverage (WHO, 2014; United Nations, 2019), all nurses must do their part to ensure palliative care is continually seen as an integral aspect of all nursing practice, regardless of specialty or setting. Recently, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) named hospice/palliative/supportive care as one of the four spheres of care needed to provide competent care ‘across the lifespan, and with diverse patient populations’ (AACN, 2021:1). The concept of palliative care training and education as essential to nursing practice must become the global entry-level standard. It is clearer than ever before that nurses must continue to be educated in generalist palliative nursing competencies, at all levels, to promote the full integration of palliative care throughout the serious illness continuum.

As a palliative nursing collective, the workforce must encourage supervision and mentorship for all nurses to strengthen their generalist level skills. Furthermore, efforts are needed to document the impact of palliative nurse specialists on patient, caregiver and staff outcomes, including changes to patients' symptom burdens and family distress, as well as fiscal savings related to the avoidance of costly hospital and health-service use that may not be reflective of patients' values. COVID-19 has shown the world the interconnections and interdependence not only among members of the healthcare team, but also between countries (Rosa et al, 2021b). Thus, in the context of public health, palliative nurse researchers and specialists must also commit to disseminating community and national-level outcomes of palliative care delivery.

In alignment with the State of the World's Nursing 2020 report recommendations and the WHO Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery 2021–2025 (WHO, 2020; WHO, 2021), multisector stakeholders and nurses must continue to advocate for strengthening the education requirements and image of nursing as a global profession, if nurses are to have a strong voice in all major global health organisations. Nurses must be equipped at local, national and international levels to become socio-politically informed and effective leaders and advocates for policy change that protects them in practicing to the full extent of their training and licensure (Rosa et al, 2021c; Rosa et al, 2021d). Until nursing as a unified profession achieves its potential, our specialty will remain immensely challenged to promote and advance the palliative nursing agenda.