en Nursing Short Communication <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Palliative care is a critical component of Universal Health Coverage and a key approach for reducing serious health-related suffering; however, major educational gaps persist among nurses across the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Although nurses deliver palliative care in hospitals, communities, and homes, many report insufficient knowledge, skills, and confidence, especially in end-of-life communication, complex symptom management, and psychosocial&ndash;spiritual support. These gaps are driven by limited curricular integration, shortages of trained faculty, resource constraints, and scarce post-graduation training. Digital and virtual education models (e.g., Project ECHO, web-based modules, and virtual simulation/VR) offer scalable solutions by improving access, reducing time and cost barriers, and strengthening competence and self-efficacy. These models need to fit local health‑system capacities and the cultural and religious norms of Middle Eastern communities, especially around family‑centered decisions and sensitive conversations. Continued investment in faculty training, technology, and mentorship is essential for bringing culturally responsive virtual palliative care education into nursing programs.</span></span></div> Palliative care, Nursing, Nursing education, Learning 1 4 http://nmj.goums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-2131-3&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Hadis Ashrafizadeh ashrafizadeh.h1993@gmail.com 100319475328460017956 100319475328460017956 No Student Research Committee, Faculty of Nursing, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran Salem Said Al Touby altouby@unizwa.edu.om 100319475328460017957 100319475328460017957 No School of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Nizwa, Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman Maryam Rassouli Rassouli.m@gmail.com 100319475328460017958 100319475328460017958 Yes School of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Nizwa, Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman; Cancer Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran