Nurses’ functions   include assistance to an individual in his recovery from sickness as well as peaceful death. Due  to emergence of  chronic debilitating  diseases such as  HIV /AIDS  and cancer  and ageing of  the population, need of  palliative care  has risen. Palliative care enhances  quality of  life  and  readies patients and their families   for  impending death. Effective communication is an integral part of successful palliative care. It is very important to recognize the obstacles to communication. Therapeutic communication requires   the ability to listen to the patients actively,  honestly answer  to their questions and allow verbalization of their feelings. Communication involves verbal and non-verbal aspects. When engaged in providing palliative care, nurses are required to sit with patients and families in crisis and answer to their difficult questions.