Literature Review

Award-winning documentary chronicles hospice nurse’s final 39 days Hospice Foundation of America (HFA) and TGBeyond, Washington, DC; Press Release; 12/1/25Hospice Foundation of America (HFA) and TGBeyond today announced the release of A Butterfly Has Been Released, an award-winning short documentary, alongside a new professional continuing education program, From Caregiver to Patient: Hospice Nurse Allyson’s Final 39 Days. Pre-purchase is available now, with formal release in January 2026. The 36-minute film follows Allyson, a hospice nurse with more than 20 years of experience guiding patients and families through death and grief, as she navigates her own final 39 days after a life-limiting diagnosis. Through candid kitchen-table conversations, a 150-person living funeral, and a natural green burial, Allyson demonstrates what she spent decades teaching others: live with purpose, presence, and connection until the very last day.Editor's Note: Is the concept of a "living funeral" new to you? I've seen this moving film several times, with a group discussion among healthcare professionals led by its producers Jason Zamer and Barry Koch. Click here for its 2-minute trailer.

Hospice chaplain gets prison for sexual assault at facility in Sacramento County The Sacramento Bee, Sacramento, CA; by Rosalio Ahumada; 12/8/25A judge on Thursday [12/4] sentenced a man who worked as a hospice chaplain last year when he sexually assaulted a woman living in an elder care facility in Sacramento County.  ... [The chaplain] worked for a company that was contracted by care facilities, and the elderly woman was sexually assaulted within a week before the arrest. ... The District Attorney's Office did not include the name of the company or the care facility in the news release.

Can tech restore the human side of care? Becker's Health IT; by Ella Jeffries; 11/14/25 Technology has been both a promise and a problem in healthcare. When EHRs arrived in hospitals, they were heralded as a revolution — bringing order to messy paper charts and standardizing how care was documented. But soon after, clinicians found themselves staring more at screens than at the patients sitting in front of them. Now, nurse leaders say the very systems that once distanced them from patients could hold the key to rebuilding that connection.

Rediscovering purpose in the hardest moments of cancer care Medscape; by Mark A. Lewis, MD; 11/7/25 ... I'm a GI oncologist, and about a quarter of my patients have metastatic pancreatic cancer. Treat that awful disease often enough and, believe me, you start to doubt your own abilities as a supposed healer. I mean, talk about overpromising and underdelivering. ... When you judge your worth by your outcomes, especially longevity, imposter syndrome sets in like dry rot, and feelings of ineffectiveness lead to therapeutic nihilism in the very caregiver that patients look to for hope. It turns out, though, the best antidote to self-pity is right in front of me every day: my patients. ...

Rowan and Bayada Home Health Care to strengthen nursing workforce with innovative partnership Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ; Press Release; 11/18/25 “More. Great. Nurses”: That was the chant echoing through the room as BAYADA founder and chairman of the board Mark Baiada energized the crowd during a ceremonial signing event on Nov. 17 at Rowan University. The celebration launched a new agreement between Rowan and BAYADA Home Health Care, the nation’s largest independent nonprofit home health care provider. The partnership creates a debt-free pathway for aspiring nurses and expands access to high-quality home health care in the region.

When health care teams run short, physician burnout rises American Medical Association (AMA); by Sara Berg, MS; 11/4/25 ... Drawing on data from the AMA Organizational Biopsy®, the study reveals that inadequate team staffing was also linked to physicians’ intentions to cut clinical hours or leave their organizations. The findings underscore how sustained workforce shortages and daily understaffing continue to affect morale and retention in medicine long after the acute phase of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Participants included 970 physicians from 15 organizations.

What is the best way for CNOs to tackle change management? healthleaders; by G Hatfield; 11/10/25 CNOs need to be equipped to support their nurses throughout times of change. With many constant changes happening in healthcare, from mergers and acquisitions, to leadership changes, to new technology implementation. All of these shifting variables have major impacts on the nursing workforce in any health system and can cause major disruptions in workflow and nurse wellbeing. CNOs must also keep in mind that big changes affect patients as well. The challenge for nurse leaders lies in handling that change with patience, confidence, and clear intentions. CNOs must design change management strategies that are inclusive, transparent, and responsive, while being as communicative as possible throughout the entire process.

4 leadership habits that make people instantly respect and trust you: Veteran PR executive Robert Dilenschneider shares why respect is a leader’s most underrated power—and how to earn it every day. Inc.; by Marcel Schwantes; 10/30/25 Early in your career, you probably believed leadership was about control. You spoke first in meetings, made quick decisions, and expected others to follow without hesitation. You projected confidence, thinking that would earn respect. But if you looked closer, something didn’t feel right. Your team did what you asked—but only what you asked. People stayed quiet when they disagreed. Meetings felt efficient but uninspired. You were getting compliance, not commitment. Throughout his career as a leader Robert Dilenschneider, author of Respect: How to Change the World One Interaction at a Time, has learned numerous lessons. But one has stood out above the rest: fear might deliver results, but respect sustains them. 

Essentia Health, Solvay staff reach contract deal Northern News Now, Duluth, MN; by Northern News Now staff; 10/30/25 Another agreement has been reached between Essentia and the Minnesota Nurses Association. On Wednesday [10/29], healthcare workers at the Solvay Hospice House finalized their first contract. As we reported, hundreds of MNA union members walked off the job in July. During the strike, care at the Solvay Hospice House was stopped. Solvay leaders made the decision to pause care saying the facility relies on Essentia Health’s nursing staff. Care started again at the end of July. On Wednesday [10/29], Essentia announced that a tentative three-year agreement has been reached with the Solvay team.

VITAS and Miami Dade College partner to shape the next generation of compassionate nurses South Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report; by Daniel Casciato; 11/1/25 For Miami Dade College (MDC) nursing students Khadijah Norelus and Shanel Cantave, the decision to pursue nursing came from deeply personal experiences. Shanel was inspired after nearly losing her father to a hemorrhagic stroke. Khadijah’s calling was born when she witnessed the care and compassion a hospice nurse gave her cousin in his final moments. Today, both women are VITAS Scholars—recipients of the Miami Dade College LPN Scholarship supported by hospice provider VITAS Healthcare—and represent the next generation of caregivers preparing to serve South Florida’s communities amid a national nursing shortage.

Four nurses in two weeks assaulted at Essentia Hospitals: Nurses say violence is a consequence of unsafe staffing and inaction Minnesota Nurses Association, Brainer, MN; Press Release; 10/28/25Nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) are once again outraged and deeply concerned after two more violent assaults on nurses at Essentia Health. A nurse at Essentia Health St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Brainerd was attacked by a patient last Thursday, followed by another assault at the same facility over the weekend. The latest incidents come less than two weeks after two nurses were injured at Essentia Health St. Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth. Four nurses assaulted in under two weeks reflects a dangerous pattern in Essentia facilities—one that nurses have been warning about for years.Editor's Note: Continue reading for preventable actions and red flags, "True safety comes from care-based prevention." These were hospital settings; the home care settings your staff and volunteers enter provide much higher risks with less control. Ask your direct care staff for examples of professional situations that were unsafe. Office-based leaders, you might be surprised. Examine your workplace violence policies, procedures, trainings, incident reporting, and follow-up.

New hospice CEO embracing role, mission Messenger-Inquirer; by Michele Lohman; 10/24/25 As a past board member and board president, Blake Edge, recently named the new CEO of Hospice and Palliative Care of Western Kentucky following the retirement of Brenda Knollenberg, was already familiar with the services provided by the nonprofit organization. He has a goal to educate communities about hospice, which provides end-of-life care to individuals and families in Daviess, Hancock, Hopkins, and Muhlenberg counties.