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All posts tagged with “Clinical News | Aides.”



Managing oncology nurse burnout through peer support, emotional intelligence

04/01/25 at 03:00 AM

Managing oncology nurse burnout through peer support, emotional intelligence Oncology Nursing News; by Pattie Jackel, MN, RN, AOCN; 3/28/25 Debriefing after patient loss, supporting patients at the end of life, and finding outlets outside of work can help oncology nurses avoid burnout. ... Pattie Jakel, MN, RN, AOCN, spoke with Oncology Nursing News® about burnout in oncology nursing and ways to avoid it while providing palliative care to patients. ... You have to have a strong network and support. And my husband is…an architect, so medicine is not his thing, and in the beginning, he’d be like, “Pattie, I can only hear one sad story a week because I can’t hear all your sad stories.” ... "Working in acute care, I saw some horrific death and dying that occurred for our patients. We would definitely debrief afterwards, bring the group together 5 minutes. Sometimes we did longer ones." [Continue reading ...]

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Hospital workers share 26 deathbed regrets they’ve heard that changed their lives

03/31/25 at 02:00 AM

Hospital workers share 26 deathbed regrets they’ve heard that changed their lives Boredpanda; by Ruta Zumbrickaite; 3/28/25 While painful, regret can also be a motivator for learning and growth, encouraging us to avoid repeating past mistakes and make better decisions in the future. We guess that’s why self-help author Debbie Ford once said, “Pain can be our greatest teacher.” Someone on the web asked hospital workers, “What regrets do you hear from dying patients?”, and folks who’ve been there in people’s last moments shared the words that hit them the hardest. Here’s a list of some of their most profound responses.  

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Hidden battles: Keeping cancer secret

03/27/25 at 03:00 AM

Hidden battles: Keeping cancer secret Harvard Health Publishing - Harvard Medical School; by Maureen Salamon; post is dated 4/1/25, retrieved from the internet 3/25/25 Some people choose to conceal their diagnosis and treatment. Here's why — and reasons that approach can sometimes backfire. ... [In addition to privacy motives, Cristina Pozo-Kaderman, a senior psychologist at Harvard-affiliated Dana-Farber Cancer Institute] says cancer patients may also wish to:

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Carolyn Hax: Does sibling love justify traveling to abusive mom’s deathbed?

03/25/25 at 03:00 AM

Carolyn Hax: Does sibling love justify traveling to abusive mom’s deathbed?The Washington Post, Washington, DC; 3/24/25 Sister asks the letter writer to join her at their dying mom’s bedside — despite their PTSD-inducing childhoods. [The rest of this article may require a subscription to The Washington Post.]Editor's note: Even if you're not able to access the full article, what does this question stir in you? Be aware that many family caregivers (or simply family members) face complex, conflicted relationships with the persons they are tending--or in this case, even considering visiting or not. Be attuned to these common, everyday occurrences that your direct care interdisciplinary team members regularly navigate. What family systems' education and support do you provide for them?

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From heroes to burnout: How we failed our frontline health workers

03/20/25 at 03:00 AM

From heroes to burnout: How we failed our frontline health workers MedPage Today's KevinMD.com, and excerpt from Health Care Nation; by Tom Lawry; 3/15/25 Of all the lessons learned from fighting a pandemic, none was more frightening or important than discovering how dependent the system is on how we treat our doctors, nurses, and frontline caregivers.  They were already in short supply, with burnout on the rise, when the pandemic hit. As multiple waves of COVID-19 variants washed over us, frontline health workers stepped in at great risk and personal sacrifice to care for highly infectious patients. ... Some witnessed more deaths on a double shift than they did in a normal year. They delivered the bad news to families and managed end-of-life care. They were often the last face and warm voice a COVID-19 victim saw and heard. In the end, they not only saved lives but saved the system from total collapse. ... We called them heroes. And we promised to do better in how we treated them once the COVID-19 crisis passed. Promises made should be promises kept. While we continue to talk about workforce burnout using polite terms with concern in our voices, let us be clear: A system with a mission of healing continues to harm in record numbers the very people in short supply who are there to take care of the rest of us. ... [Click on the title's link for more.]

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Willow Point Nursing Center raises pay by nearly 20%

03/19/25 at 03:00 AM

Willow Point Nursing Center raises pay by nearly 20% WIVT Binghampton, Vestal, NY; by Samantha Rich; 3/17/25 A local nursing home is recognizing the selfless contributions of its employees by significantly increasing its pay scale. The Broome County Legislature recently approved 16-20% pay raises for multiple healthcare roles at Willow Point Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Vestal. The pay scale was raised for Supervising Nurses, Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs). Willow Point has also added several new openings in each role.

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Revamped tool can reliably assess pain symptoms in dementia patients: researchers

03/19/25 at 02:00 AM

Revamped tool can reliably assess pain symptoms in dementia patients: researchers McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Zee Johnson; 3/17/25 ... A team of researchers reconstructed the End-of-Life Dementia-Comfort Assessment in Dying, or EOLD-CAD, after a multifacility study showed that caregivers could adequately and reliably address a host of pain symptoms seen in end-of-life dementia patients. ... When clinicians working in the SNFs that were part of the trials used the EOLD-CAD, they were able to detect patterns in more than 600 residents that fell into four categories: physical distress, symptoms of dying, emotional distress, and well-being. Common symptoms observed across these categories were restlessness, shortness of breath, choking, gurgling, difficulty in swallowing, fear and anxiety. ...

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Sarcopenia in terminally ill patients with cancer: Clinical implications, diagnostic challenges, and management strategies

03/17/25 at 03:00 AM

Sarcopenia in terminally ill patients with cancer: Clinical implications, diagnostic challenges, and management strategies Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care; by Se-Il Go, Myoung Hee Kang, and Hoon-Gu Kim; 3/1/25 Sarcopenia, characterized by progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, is a prevalent but often overlooked condition in patients with cancer who are terminally ill. It contributes to functional decline, increased symptom burden, and reduced quality of life, yet remains underrecognized in palliative care. Diagnosing sarcopenia in this population is challenging because conventional imaging techniques are often impractical. Instead, alternative assessments, such as the Strength, Assistance with walking, Rise from a chair, Climb stairs, and Falls questionnaire (SARC-F), anthropometric measurements, and bioelectrical impedance analysis offer feasible options. Management should focus on symptom relief, functional preservation, and patient comfort, rather than on muscle mass restoration.

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Hospice worker accused of exploiting patient, steals $7K

03/14/25 at 03:00 AM

Hospice worker accused of exploiting patient, steals $7K CBS12 News, Tampa, FL; by Skyler Shepard; 3/12/25 A hospice worker is accused of financially exploiting a hospice patient under her care. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) said deputies responded to a delayed fraud report on March 4 on Clubhouse Circle, where the victim, receiving hospice care, reported being defrauded by a home health assistant. The sheriff's office said the fraudulent activity reportedly began on January 28. The suspect, identified as Shawn Livingston, allegedly persuaded the victim to use Zelle for service payments and manipulated the transactions to transfer money to her accounts, pay her creditors, and make payments to Carnival Cruises, stealing more than $7,000. On March 7, deputies arrested the 57-year-old woman, who now faces exploitation of an elderly person, fraudulent use of personal information, grand theft, fraudulent use of a credit card, and uttering a forged instrument.

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Here’s to Laura Ptucha-Skoog, hospice nurse

03/11/25 at 03:00 AM

Here’s to Laura Ptucha-Skoog, hospice nurse YubaNet.com; by Timothy May; 3/10/25 “I’m not sure I’d say much at all, not at first. I would just try to listen.” This in response to the question of how a hospice nurse should respond if patients or family members make demands that seem unreasonable, unwise, or downright impossible. ... Laura Ptucha-Skoog should know; she has been an R.N. for decades and a nurse at Hospice of the Foothills for the last nine years. She loves her job, including the challenge of facilitating communication. Her ability to talk frankly with terminally ill hospital patients and families drew her to a career in hospice. “Often,” Laura explains, “the human elements are as challenging as the medical ones. Things like asking the right questions and listening to responses; making sure your patient and their caregivers understand what you are doing and why; verifying that everyone understands where you are in the process; listening to their responses with patience and empathy.” ... 

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Interdisciplinary strategies for establishing a trusting relation as a pre-requisite for existential conversations in palliative care: a grounded theory study

02/26/25 at 03:00 AM

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."

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Relaxing licensing, training requirements during pandemic didn’t improve nursing home staffing: study

02/26/25 at 03:00 AM

Relaxing licensing, training requirements during pandemic didn’t improve nursing home staffing: study McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Zee Johnson; 2/24/25 A new study of more than 15,000 nursing homes found no link between relaxed certified nurse aide training and licensing protocols during the pandemic and improved staffing levels. During COVID-19, 19 states loosened their training requirements (the “treatment” group), and 31 states did not (“control” group). However, both recorded nearly the same CNA hours per resident per day, according to the study by researchers at the University of Iowa. ... During the pandemic, direct caregivers were at extreme risk for contracting the deadly virus, which killed more than 200,000 nursing home residents and workers. But more often than not, they were left without basic benefits such as paid sick leave, Mehboob said. 

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Hospice workers in Tampa experience what it feels like to live with dementia

02/24/25 at 03:00 AM

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.]

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[UK - St. Christopher's Hospice] Woman with rare brain disease dances with husband for first time in years

02/24/25 at 03:00 AM

[UK - St. Christopher's Hospice] Woman with rare brain disease dances with husband for first time in yearsReposted in Daily Journal from Talker News, Tupelo, MS; by Isobel Williams; 2/20/25 This is the touching moment an elderly woman living with a rare brain disease slow danced with her husband - for the first time in years. Constance Bartholomew, 69, has progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a neurological condition which has left her struggling to walk. The disorder - which is estimated to affect around 4,000 people in the UK - can cause problems with balance, movement, vision, speech and swallowing. Constance began physiotherapy at St. Christopher's Hospice in Sydenham, south-east London in September last year - at which point husband Dennis, 72, joked he would pay a million pounds to dance with her again. Upon hearing the remark, rehab assistant Ralitsa Angelova ... made it her mission to make it happen.  ... “She is unable to walk, to articulate, her eyesight has failed. It’s a terrible condition. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. But she is fully aware. There is absolutely nothing wrong with her memory or comprehension. ..." The video has been released as hospices in London come together to change perceptions of hospice care and highlight the vital importance of gifts in wills to their holistic palliative care services for adults and children in their communities. The hospices are taking part in the This is Hospice Care campaign, a national collaboration of 143 hospices across England, Scotland and Wales, brought together by Hospice UK.Editor's note: St. Christopher's Hospice--founded by Dame Cicely Saunders--is the home for modern day hospice care.  Click here for a YouTube video of Constance and Dennis. Click here for the article we posted on 2/21 about the UK's "This Is Hospice Care" initiative.

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Staffing shortages weighing on hospice executive’s minds in 2025

02/21/25 at 03:00 AM

Staffing shortages weighing on hospice executive’s minds in 2025 Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 2/19/25 Hospice leaders have lost sleep over workforce pressures plaguing the industry for several years running, a trend that is not anticipated to abate anytime soon. Staffing challenges were cited as the leading concern among 35% of 112 hospice professionals who participated in this year’s Outlook Survey by Hospice News and Homecare Homebase. This represented an 18% decline compared to the 2023 survey results. ...

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HealthcareBusinessToday.com series on hospice care

02/12/25 at 03:00 AM

HealthcareBusinessToday.com series on hospice careEditor's note: The following articles were posted on 2/10/25 by HealthcareBusinessToday.com.

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Learning from death: New memoir If We Never Meet Again imparts lessons from working with hospice patients

02/10/25 at 03:00 AM

Learning from death: New memoir If We Never Meet Again imparts lessons from working with hospice patientsThe MarCom Journal, Charleston, SC; by Globe Newswire; 2/6/25While the topic of death is generally considered taboo, English teacher turned hospice administrator Matthew Cornett believes there is much to be learned from death. After becoming an empty nester, Cornett left the classroom behind and began a second career in hospice care. And the more time he spent with people as they approached the end of their life, the more he realized that their deaths had meaning. And what emerged from those final moments was something profound. Hoping to make others feel more comfortable when it comes to preparing for and talking about death, he presents a memoir of his journey into the world of hospice care. In If We Never Meet Again, Cornett chronicles his experiences providing compassion and support to hospice patients while adjusting to his new role. Finding inspiration in his patient’s “death stories,” he found himself on an unexpected path of self-discovery. Cornett’s personal reflections on these intimate and emotional interactions encourage readers to reconsider how they view death and dying.

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Hospice Alliance hosts CNA walk-in interviews

02/07/25 at 03:00 AM

Hospice Alliance hosts CNA walk-in interviews Kenosha.com, Kenosha, WI; Press Release; 2/5/25 What: Hospice Alliance is looking for dedicated Certified Nursing Aides to join our award-winning team. We will be hosting walk-in interviews on Thursdays throughout the month of February from 1 – 3 pm for full-time 1st shift aides. Wages start at $18.50 an hour, and positions are benefit eligible (i.e. PTO, 403b match, health, vision and dental insurance). Please bring your resume, CNA certification, driver’s license, and auto insurance with you (all of which are required for the position). Who: Open to anyone who is a Wisconsin Certified Nursing Aide Where: ... When: Thursdays, February 6, 13, 20 and 27 from 1 – 3 pm Applications can be completed ahead of time at ...Editor's note: We're posting this as an innovative, user-friendly recruitment initiative.

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New report details financial, emotional toll of Parkinson’s on family caregivers

02/07/25 at 03:00 AM

New report details financial, emotional toll of Parkinson’s on family caregivers McKnights Home Care; by Foster Stubbs; 2/4/25 A new report sheds a light on the unique challenges faced by family caregivers who care for loved ones with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The report, Parkinson’s Disease Caregiving in the US, features insights from secondary analysis and supplementary interviews with 10 PD caregivers. These caregivers average 31 hours of unpaid care per week; half of interviewed caregivers exceed 100 hours each week, according to the report. The National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC), with support from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) and Arcadia University, released the report.  

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Thinking innovatively about your nursing career development

01/29/25 at 03:00 AM

Thinking innovatively about your nursing career development Minority Nurse; by Keith Carlson, BSN, RN, NC-BC; 1/27/25 Your nursing career is yours to create, and with proper care, your path can be unique, innovative, and idiosyncratic. At the same time, your many obligations and responsibilities can steer you away from your uniqueness and leave you in a rut of choosing the path of least resistance. There are many strategies for choosing a career journey that fits your vision of who you want to be as a healthcare professional, and it’s worth exploring those strategies for the ones that can most readily move you forward. ... Thoughtful questions are a good place to begin your self-assessment. ... 

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What can we learn from the dying?

01/29/25 at 03:00 AM

What can we learn from the dying? Newscastle's News Letter Journal (NLJ), Newcastle, WY; by Kelly Evans-Hullinger, MD; 1/26/25 For the last five years, I have had the great privilege of serving my local health system as Medical Director for Home Hospice. Every week I sit in a meeting with the multidisciplinary caretakers on this team ... Patients facing their own deaths want to talk about their lives. Our staff frequently tries to facilitate what they call a “life review” in which a patient can openly talk about their childhood, family, career, service, and sometimes their regrets. This is therapeutic for the dying patient and their loved ones.  ... I have recently thought about this particular human need – to reflect and remember one’s life. I take this as a reminder to both seek those stories from my own loved ones (I wish I had asked my grandmother more questions about her life) and, perhaps, to tell and write about the things in my own life I would want to be remembered after I am gone. For if there is another thing I’ve learned serving patients on hospice, it is that my death is also inevitable; but, I think, life’s finality is what gives it beauty and meaning. 

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New data reveals the hidden costs of workplace violence in healthcare

01/21/25 at 03:00 AM

New data reveals the hidden costs of workplace violence in healthcare Perceptyx; by Ellen Lovell, PhD and Stephanie Schloemer, PhD; 1/17/25 Workplace violence has become an impossible-to-ignore crisis in healthcare, threatening the safety of medical professionals, patients, and institutions. The severity and frequency of these incidents have reached alarming levels, demanding immediate attention and action. ... The human cost is staggering.  ... While our research confirms the widespread nature of safety concerns in healthcare, a deeper analysis reveals significant variations across different healthcare environments and roles. This granular view helps us understand where intervention is most urgently needed. Editor's note: Although "hospice settings reported the lowest agreement at 54%," this statistic should be considered too high for comfort. Actions need to be taken to reduce it. From your professional leadership role, examine the importance of protecting hospice professionals' safety--typically in home settings--and through moments such vulnerable, emotional, conflicted times within families. What can your agency improve?

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At United Hospice good leadership makes all the difference

01/20/25 at 03:00 AM

At United Hospice good leadership makes all the difference Mid Hudson News, Goshen, NY; by Mid-Hudson News Staff; 1/19/25 In the world of healthcare, there are few environments as emotionally charged and delicate as hospice care.  Here, patients face the final chapter of their lives, and their families must grapple with the profound weight of grief and impending loss. It’s a space that requires not only clinical expertise but also an extraordinary level of compassion, empathy, and resilience. At the heart of it all is leadership—a factor that can profoundly shape the quality of care, support, and comfort patients and families receive during this challenging time. [Cara Pace, United Hospice CEO] noted that leadership in hospice care is not about wielding authority or simply managing logistics. It’s about embodying a vision of compassionate, patient-centered care that resonates throughout the organization. A good hospice leader knows how to create a culture of empathy, where every member of the team understands the profound impact their work has on the lives of patients and families.

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Introduction: ‘Those who have made death their life’

01/16/25 at 02:00 AM

Introduction: ‘Those who have made death their life’The Daily Yonder - Keep It Rural; by Hannah Clark; 1/15/25 Hannah Clark spent six months riding along with the nurses and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) of Hearth Hospice who provide in-home care to those living in Northwest Georgia and Southeast Tennessee. These hospice workers often drive up to a hundred miles a day to visit a handful of patients scattered across the Appalachian landscape in both rural towns and urban centers. What will follow this introductory essay is her photo reportage in three parts, documenting what she has witnessed accompanying these caregivers. The intimate portraits and vignettes show tender moments at different stages towards the end of one’s life. Their beauty lies in the companionship Clark captured in moments of need and vulnerability. 

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Sierra Hills strike ends, negotiations ongoing with parent company

01/13/25 at 03:00 AM

Sierra Hills strike ends, negotiations ongoing with parent company Wyoming Tribune Eagle; by Noah Zahn; 1/9/25 Employees of Sierra Hills Assisted Living concluded their strike on Jan. 2, and on Tuesday, the union met with Edgewood Healthcare, which owns Sierra Hills, for another contract bargaining session. ... Throughout the strike, employees said they were fighting for a better contract primarily for the health and safety of the residents and the employees, claiming the existing working conditions are unsafe. ... Wilkinson said the primary concern of the employees is safety issues that result from employees performing out-of-scope duties. ... For Sierra Hills staff, [being required to provide out of scope care] began when Edgewood introduced hospice care at Sierra Hills a few years ago, shortly after the pandemic. There are hospice nurses who are at the facility a couple of hours per week to care for the residents, but the rest of the time, the burden of care often falls to the CNAs and RNs on the clock. In situations where timely care is needed, employees have said it can be difficult to get the help of a hospice nurse in time.

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