Literature Review

Terminally ill Stanford professor teaches class about dying from cancerCBS News, Bay Area, CA; by Elizabeth Cook; 3/13/25 A Stanford University professor's new curriculum explores the multiple aspects and phases of a person dying of cancer, and it comes from a person with first-hand knowledge. Dr. Bryant Lin has been a professor for almost two decades. He's used to being the teacher, not the subject of his classes. But that all changed in 2024 when he was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. ... The diagnosis was a dose of cruel irony. Lin co-founded the Center for Asian Health Research and Education. One of the priorities for the foundation is researching non-small cell adenocarcinoma, also known as "never-smoker lung cancer," the same cancer diagnosis that Lin received. ... The class is called "From diagnosis to dialogue: A doctor's real-time battle with cancer." Within minutes of being posted, the class and the waitlist were full. ... The 10-week course covers the entire spectrum of cancer as seen through the eyes of someone who is living it. ... Stanford University recorded every session of the class so that they could live on for future physicians. If you would like to watch them, they can be found on YouTube. 

The path to excellence: How nursing education can propel your career WFMA-TV 69 News; Allentown, PA; by Valencia Jasira; 3/11/25 ... Why higher education matters in nursing: Expanding expertise beyond the basics is becoming more essential in the medical profession. Institutions and employers now prefer staff members with comprehensive training and credentials. This trend is largely due to evolving regulations, technological advancements, and the push for better service quality. ...

Tumor: why not use the warrior’s metaphor anymore taketonews; 3/7/25 ... The term "warrior" is often used to describe cancer sick people, referring to their strength, determination and ability to fight the disease. Although the intention is positive, docts and psychologists believe that this metaphor can generate negative effects on people with an oncological disease. The "warrior" label is not always appropriate and can have unwanted psychological effect on cancer patients. ... Use a language that does not reduce the patient to his struggle, but that enhances his entirety, including weakness, depression and pain, can contribute to a more human and respectful experience of care. ... [Click on the title's link for this further information below.]

What's driving change in end-of-life care for February 2025 Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast by Chris Comeaux; 3/5/25 In this episode, Chris Comeaux and Cordt Kassner, PhD—Publisher of Hospice & Palliative Care Today and CEO/Founder of Hospice Analytics—unpack the latest trends shaping end-of-life care in America.  Drawing on extensive experience and data-driven insights, they spotlight key Hospice headlines, research, and podcasts influencing the Hospice sector.  … Plus, Cordt delivers a masterclass on Hospice technology, offering practical tools and strategies to enhance care delivery.

Qualitative analysis through the lens of minority nurses American Nurse; by Sonya Moore, PhD, RN, CRNA; Carolyn Still, PhD, RN; and Siobhan Aaron, PhD, RN; 3/4/25 Many argue that experiences of discrimination, racism, and microaggression (intentional or unintentional) serve as key barriers to the recruitment and retention of diverse nurses. Iheduru-Anderson, who interviewed 30 Black nurses, noted that despite an increase in the number of Black nurses in the U.S. workforce over time, they remain significantly underrepresented in leadership and faculty positions. The study identified several themes that contribute to lack of advancement, including maintaining White comfort, distrust, lack of role models and representation, expectations about leadership roles, and the ineffectiveness of advanced degrees in securing advancement. 

The journey to elite leadership  with Mike Harbour Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast by Chris Comeaux; 2/26/25 In this episode of the Anatomy of Leadership podcast, Chris Comeaux and Mike Harbour explore the themes of leadership, personal growth, and the essence of elite leadership.  Mike shares his insights on perseverance, self-mastery, and evaluating experiences to foster growth.  They discuss the concept of elite leadership, emphasizing the need for integrity, vision, and empowerment in leadership roles. The conversation culminates in practical advice for aspiring leaders on developing traits contributing to elite leadership.  Then, it highlights Mike’s unique upcoming Elite Leadership Summit in Colorado in April, which aims to foster growth and connection among leaders in a unique and picturesque setting. Join us; many leadership pearls of wisdom are packed into this episode. 

‘Global problem’: Numerous factors, biases contribute to overtreatment at end of life Healio; by Josh Friedman; 2/26/25 Nathan I. Cherny, MD, has worked all around the world. At every stop — from Australia to Israel, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in between — he has seen people with cancer receive overly aggressive treatment at the end of life. ... In a review published in ESMO Open, Cherny and a cohort of multinational colleagues highlighted numerous reasons why overtreatment occurs among patients approaching the end of life, ... They listed more than 20 contributing factors, including desire for control of the cancer, denial and anger, family pressure and hope preservation. The two factors that contribute most to overtreatment are optimism bias and the “counterphobic determination to treat,” which involves clinicians having a difficult time introducing the suggestion of palliative care revert to offering further treatments, Cherny said. ... Responsibility for decisions does not need to fall solely on oncologists, Cherny added. Palliative care physicians, social workers, chaplains and others can be part of a team to assist patients with their choices. ... The number of patients who are overtreated differs at each institution. “Each institution has its own culture of care,” Cherny said. Editor's note: This article puts forth significant insights for all palliative and hospice clinicians, interdisciplinary teams, and palliative/hospice executive leaders. Apply Cherny's to your referral sources: "Each institution has its own culture of care." Apply these findings to your own palliative and hospice services. 

Interdisciplinary strategies for establishing a trusting relation as a pre-requisite for existential conversations in palliative care: a grounded theory study BMC Palliative Care - Part of Springer Nature, Open Acces; by Annica Lagerin, Christina Melin-Johansson, Bodil Holmberg, Tove Godskesen, Elin Hjorth, Lena Junehag, Carina Lundh Hagelin, Anneli Ozanne, Johan Sundelöf & Camilla Udo; 2/19/25... This study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of healthcare professionals’ (HCPs) experiences of existential conversations with patients with PC needs and their next-of-kin by generating a theoretical model. ... To emphasize the importance of ethical competence for quality patient care, particularly in PC, a combination of care ethics, clinical proficiency, relational skills and effective communication is essential. ... The potential obstacles we identified that require attention include the need for managers ... to support HCPs by allowing time for reflection, developing new routines, and providing education focused on existential conversations in PC. However, the main contribution of this study is the description of the interdisciplinary strategies HCPs used to establish meaningful, existential conversations by maintaining presence, as this paved the way for trusting conversations with patients and next-of-kin. Editor's note: Pair this with today's article "Why being trustworthy is a leadership hack that drives success."

Empowering employees to drive CX [Customer eXperience] innovation: A comprehensive path to successCustomerland; by Ricardo Saltz Gulko; 2/24/25 ... While it is widely recognized that employees play a crucial role in shaping customer experience (CX), their impact on innovation is often less clear. However, employees are the bedrock of innovation within any organization. They bring diverse perspectives, skills, and creativity that fuel the development of new products, services, and processes. This article delves into the significant ways employees influence innovation, providing a comprehensive analysis supported by ten key points. ...

How OU Health's Professional Practice Model is defining nursing excellence Health Leaders; by G Hatfield; 2/24/25 This model enables [Oklahoma University] OU Health to elevate nursing education, practice, and outcomes, says this CNE. ... Stefanie Beavers, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, chief nurse executive at OU Health, and HealthLeaders Exchange  ... The Concept: A professional practice model, according to Beavers, is an evidence-based practice that aligns organizational values with a framework driven by research and outcomes. The goal is to elevate nursing excellence and patient outcomes, but also to solidify the identity of the organization's teams. The OU Health Nursing Professional Practice Model was developed based on the Joanne Duffy Quality Caring Model, so that the organization could take caring behaviors and integrate them into OU Health’s values.

Hospice workers in Tampa experience what it feels like to live with dementiaFox 13 Tampa Bay, FL; by Kailey Tracy; 2/19/25 Keosha Simmons says her father, who died in 2018, was a hard worker and an amazing man. ... "He did live with dementia. It was an early onset of dementia. He ended up with cancer, and it was a later stage when we found out about it, and that's when he came under the care of Empath Health Suncoast Hospice," Simmons said. Simmons is now the Director of Empath’s Community Engagement team. On Wednesday, Simmons and her team did a different kind of training. It was a hands-on simulation to experience what someone with dementia feels. [From this article's "The Brief" Summary.]

The hidden curriculum in medical school: What they don’t teach you Medscape; by Roni Robbins; 2/14/25... For Krastein and other medical students, there’s a hidden curriculum in medical school: Unwritten, informal lessons, and values learned outside of formal academic settings that shape the culture of medicine, influence behavior, and how to approach patient care and professional relationships. ... These lessons may unfold in informal moments, conversations during rounds or with patients, observing faculty handling difficult cases, or seeing how peers and mentors navigate challenges. [Identified themes include the following:]