Literature Review

Best healthcare jobs in 2026: US News Becker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 1/13/26 For the third consecutive year, nurse practitioner earned the No. 1 spot in U.S. News & World Report‘s annual best jobs rankings. The media company released the rankings Jan. 13, highlighting the best jobs across 17 categories, including healthcare. 

Hey, all you geniuses who sang "Let It Snow" back in December ... Happy now? ~ from "Maxine" by Hallmark Cards

What I see at the end of life as homelessness rises in Ohio: Holly Klein Cleveland.com, Cleveland, OH; by Holly Klein; 1/18/26 As a former in-home hospice nurse and now executive director of Grace House Akron, I have witnessed firsthand what happens when Ohioans fall through every crack in our healthcare and housing systems. ... Every day, I see the human reality behind the numbers ... Dignity at the end of life should not depend on having an address. Before Grace House opened, people experiencing homelessness often died alone, in undignified conditions -- or worse, on the streets. Providing a warm bed, a safe room, a hand to hold and someone to bear witness to a person’s final days should be a moral commitment shared across Ohio. Dignity is not a luxury; it is a right.

Unlocking the secret  power of groups with Colin M. Fisher  / part 1Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Colin M. Fisher; 1/21/26 In this episode of TCNtalks / Anatomy of Leadership, host Chris Comeaux sits down with Colin M. Fisher, professor, researcher, author, and jazz trumpeter, to explore what decades of research reveal about how groups actually work—and why so many teams fall short of their potential. Drawing from his book The Collective Edge, Fisher challenges the deeply ingrained myth of the “lone genius” and reframes leadership as a discipline of design, not motivation. 

Advance care planning in patients nearing the end of life: A pre-intervention study of racial disparities and provider factors Journal of General Internal Medicine | Springer; by Vedha Penmetcha BA, Mia Marcotte BA, Yashaswani Chauhan MD, Malathi Srinivasan MD, Adrian M. Bacong PhD, Amelia Sattler MD; 1/19/26 The pre-intervention study of Advance Care Planning (ACP) in patients nearing the end of life highlighted significant racial disparities and the impact of provider factors on ACP documentation. The study found that Asian patients were least likely to have ACP documentation in their charts, and minorities who had ACP conversations were less likely to have documentation. This suggests that ACP conversations are often not documented in the electronic health records of these patients, indicating a need for targeted interventions to improve ACP documentation rates. The study also revealed that providers may struggle to identify who and when to engage in ACP conversations, which can be a barrier to effective ACP.

Sound of silence: Training physicians to avoid interrupting the diagnosis Medscape; by Donavyn Coffey; 1/21/26 When Anthony Back, MD, a palliative care specialist at the University of Washington in Seattle, takes medical trainees on his rounds, they often come out of the exam room with the same observation: “You didn’t say anything.” Back is among a growing number of physicians who practices silence with his patients, intentionally giving them more time to share and process before he chimes in, and teaching the next generation of doctors to do the same.  ... Emerging evidence and educator experience suggest that silence is not an absence of skill but a deliberate diagnostic and relational tool.

[United Kingdom] Man to attempt 50-hour charity gaming marathon BBC News, West Midlands, United Kingdom; by Elliot Ball; 1/21/26 A man has challenged himself to a 50-hour gaming marathon to raise funds for a hospice that cared for a close friend. Rick Holloway, from Worcester, has completed eight similar challenges, all in memory of Mike Grubb, and raised more than £4,300 over five years for St Richard's Hospice. His latest challenge saw him play Championship Manager non-stop for 50 hours in November with a second identical 50-hour marathon set to start at 10:00 GMT on 3 April, finishing at 12:00 on 5 April.

How nurses assess care goals to boost patient satisfaction informa; by Sara Heath; 1/21/26 Nurses at New Jersey's Valley Hospital boosted patient satisfaction by 14% by soliciting and understanding patient care goals. Krystal LaNeve, a nurse at Valley Hospital in Paramus, New Jersey, often finds herself talking a lot with her patients. ... [Dialogue is] key to patient-centered care but operationalizing that can be an uphill battle. Healthcare teams are strapped for time, and it can be difficult to discuss care preferences with patients ...  Editor's Note: While most of this article is behind a paywall, a similar article is posted on the ANA Nursing Resources Hub, "Ways Nurses Can Improve Patient Care."

Wednesday will either make you or break you. You are either on the upward trend or the downward slide to the end of the work week. Give it all you've got this Wednesday! ~ Catherine Pulsifer

Ending well – health care planning for the future Detroit PBS, Detroit, MI; by Marty Fischhoff; 1/16/26 Four years ago, Susan Major was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer. Faced with this devastating news, she immediately took action, spelling out the health care treatment that she wished to receive. It helped ease the burden on her loved ones who might have to speak for her when she was no longer able. Major sat down with One Detroit, along with her sister and main caregiver, Marcia Major, to discuss the choices she has made and how they have helped her cope with her illness.

Influencer Sara Bennett announces her own death at 39 E News; by Bentley Maddox; 1/14/26 Sara Bennett left her loved ones with a heartfelt message. Nearly three years after she was diagnosed with ALS, the influencer and advocate has died, with her announcing her own death on social media. She was 39. “I am not in pain, or tired. I can laugh, talk, and I can move,” Sara wrote in the caption of her Jan. 13 Instagram alongside a remembrance card and photo. “Reflecting in my last few months of my life, I am glad I didn’t go suddenly even WITH the suffering. I finished my list.” 

A legacy of compassion: Sargent family dedicates the Aroostook House of Comfort dining room The County, Presque Isle, ME; 1/15/26 The Aroostook Hospice Foundation is honored to announce a $25,000 gift from the Sargent family, made in loving memory of Iffy Sargent, who passed away on Jan. 14, 2025. This generous gift dedicates the Family Dining Room at the Aroostook House of Comfort, a central gathering space within the home. The Family Dining Room offers patients, families, and staff a place to gather, share meals and experience comfort and connection during life’s most tender moments. Designed to feel like a real home rather than a medical facility, the space supports essential, everyday moments of normalcy — conversation, shared meals and quiet time together. 

A different kind of care: The compelling case for palliative care in advanced kidney disease docwirenews; by Keightley Amen; 1/20/26 Advanced kidney disease requires some of the most complex care in medicine due to medical management, comorbid conditions, symptom burden, patient and family psychosocial needs, difficult conversations, and advance care planning. Despite the significant coordination needed, care for this patient population is often more fragmented, with less access to supportive services, than for people with other chronic, life-limiting illnesses.