Literature Review

5 takeaways from CEO and CFO compensation report Becker's Hospital Review; by Kristin Kuchno; 7/17/24 Compensation Advisory Partners' July 12 report highlighted compensation trends for CFOs and CEOs in 2023, based on data from 132 companies, including those in the healthcare sector, with a median revenue of $14.6 billion. Here are the key takeaways:

Top ten tips palliative care clinicians should know before their patient undergoes surgery? Journal of Palliative Medicine; by Rachel Hadler, Lara India, Angela M Bader, Orly N Farber, Melanie L Fritz, Fabian M Johnston, Nader N Massarweh, Ravi Pathak, Sandra H Sacks, Margaret L Schwarze, Jocelyn Streid, William E Rosa, Rebecca A Aslakson; 7/15/24 online ahead of print Many seriously ill patients undergo surgical interventions. Palliative care clinicians may not be familiar with the nuances involved in perioperative care, however they can play a valuable role in enabling the delivery of patient-centered and goal-concordant perioperative care. ... This article, written by a team of surgeons and anesthesiologists, many with subspecialty training in palliative medicine and/or ethics, offers ten tips to support palliative care clinicians and facilitate comprehensive discussion as they engage with patients and clinicians considering surgical interventions.

Private nursing services market hits USD 1179 billion by 2032 Market.US; by Trishita Deb; 7/17/24 The Global Private Nursing Services Market, valued at USD 609.7 billion in 2022, is poised for substantial growth. It is projected to reach USD 1179 billion by 2032, expanding at a consistent annual growth rate of 7%. This growth is primarily driven by several critical factors. Firstly, the increasing aging population worldwide necessitates more personalized and attentive healthcare services, which private nursing can provide. Secondly, the rise in chronic diseases, which require long-term care, significantly contributes to the demand for private nursing services. Technological advancements and increased healthcare expenditures also play vital roles in enhancing the service quality and accessibility in this sector​.

Mayo Clinic Minute: How extreme heat, humidity affect your health News Tribune; by Tribune News Service; 7/16/24 Many parts of the U.S. continue to grapple with oppressive heat and humidity. This can prevent the body from cooling down, increasing the risk of heat cramps, exhaustion and heatstroke. Dr. Jesse Bracamonte, a Mayo Clinic family medicine physician, said the extreme heat and high humidity can be a dangerous mix. "High heat and high humidity can place one at risk for serious illness if people aren't careful. The heat can affect people's bodies by increasing the core body temperature and ability to sweat, and cause dehydration that can cause further medical problems and ensuing issues, and eventually can lead to heat exhaustion, in some cases, severe heat illness, known as heatstroke," Bracamonte said. Editor's Note: What information and support are you providing for your clinicians who travel between visits and for your patients who might be affected by extreme heat and humidity? What simple, practical adaptations might you create, like disposable water bottles for staff as they leave your building (with a sign of support and basic info)?

Keeping staff members safe and sound by optimizing security technology Security; by Paul Sarnese; 7/12/24 Nobody wants to invest in technology, only to have it go the way of the stationary bike that sits unused in the corner of a room. That holds true for healthcare organization leaders who are looking to invest in staff safety alarm systems that can help avert potentially dangerous situations. With workplace violence against caregivers increasing 115% since 2021, many healthcare organizations are, indeed, looking to protect workers from harm — and to shield their organizations from resultant financial distress.Editor's Note: Workplace violence and staff safety continues to trend as a root cause for nursing and other healthcare strikes across the nation. Examine your organization's Incident Reports and QAPI initiatives. What needs to be addressed?

Compassion fatigue in palliative care: Exploring its comprehensive impact on geriatric nursing well-being and care quality in end-of-life[Saudi Arabia] Geriatric Nursing; by Abeer Nuwayfi Alruwaili, Majed Alruwailia, Osama Mohamed Elsayed Ramadan, Nadia Bassuoni Elsharkawy, Enas Mahrous Abdelaziz, Sayed Ibrahim Ali, Mostafa Shaban; 7/24This study examines the experiences of geriatric nurses in palliative care... The analysis reveals main themes: 1) the deep emotional connections between nurses and their patients; 2) the challenges faced, including compassion fatigue, high patient mortality, and communication hurdles; 3) the impact of these challenges on the quality of care, highlighting issues like diminished empathy; 4) the coping strategies used by nurses, such as self-care practices and continuous education. The study concludes that coping strategies, including self-care and ongoing professional development, are vital for sustaining the nurses’ well-being and ensuring the continued provision of high-quality care to Older Adults patients.

Caregiver charged with abusing dementia patient The Freeman, Waukesha County, WI; by Freeman Staff; 7/9/24 A West Allis woman has been charged after she allegedly struck a dementia patient in her care and put a pillow over the woman’s face out of frustration. Erica Junger, 22, was charged Monday in Waukesha County Circuit Court with a count of intentionally abusing a patient, and faces up to six years in prison if convicted. She made an initial appearance in court Monday, where she was released on a $2,500 signature bond and ordered by Court Commissioner David Herring not to work in any job where she is responsible for the health care and safety of others. ... She said she "snapped" and did things she wasn’t supposed to do, but didn’t mean anything by it. ... The complaint did not identify the facility where the incident took place. But it did identify Junger as an employee of Agrace Hospice, which contracts with the facility.

38 hospitals, health systems cutting jobsBecker's Hospital CFO Report; by Kelly Gooch; 6/28/24 A number of hospitals and health systems are reducing their workforces or jobs due to financial and operational challenges. [Listed] are workforce reduction efforts or job eliminations announced this year [by Becker's]. June:

Anxiety and resilience in palliative medicine physicians BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care; by Cristhian Alexis Velásquez Marín, Carlos Javier Avendaño-Vásquez; 7/2/24, online ahead of printTo identify the relationship between the degree of anxiety and the capacity for resilience in palliative care physicians ..., [we] included 42 Colombian Palliative Care Physicians and administered a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Zung Anxiety Scale and the Resilience Scale. Results: 42 palliative care physicians with an average age of 41 participated in the study. Anxious symptoms were present in 100% of the physicians evaluated. Mild or moderate anxiety was identified in 93.7% of the population and 6.3% of people with severe anxiety symptoms. ... Our results reflect that the population of palliative care physicians has a higher risk and exposure to developing anxiety and its adverse outcomes. We found higher anxiety levels compared with other studies so this population requires greater vigilance and intervention in treating and preventing mental health difficulties.Editor's Note: Executive leaders for palliative care services, use this research to be aware of possible stress-related tolls on your palliative physicians and team members. Ask. Generate dialogue. Do not assume that this applies, but rather use it to tune into and improve the support your physicians need. While this research was in Columbia, it resonates a U.S.recurring trend of the unionization of physicians, often related to burnout and stress overload.

Palliative care nurses see us in our final hours — these are the life lessons they've learnt ABC News; by Iskhandar Razak; 6/29/24 Anne Myers was once confused and shaken by death. After more than a decade as a nurse, including in hospital ICUs, her mother died. "I'd seen a lot of deaths in my nursing life, but it was the closest human to me that had died," she said. "It kind of sent me down a 'oh my god, I don't know what's happening to me', this grief I'm experiencing." Soon afterwards, she became a palliative care nurse. "I ended up just going down the path of 'what is death, what is death and dying all about?'" she recalled. More than 15 years later, here's what she and other palliative care nurses have discovered on how to die well and live well.

In a 1st at ChristianaCare, physicians vote to unionize Becker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 7/1/24 Physicians at ChristianaCare locations in Delaware and Maryland voted to join the Doctors Council, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union. ... The decision marks the first attending physician union in Delaware, the first union at ChristianaCare, and the largest union of private sector physicians in the U.S., according to the Doctors Council. Union representatives said the physicians' decision is a response to ongoing concerns about corporatization and their professional autonomy.

[Four-day workweeks:] A flexibility trend gaining steam in nursing Becker's Clinical Leadership; by Erica Carbajal; 6/26/24 A growing number of health systems are embracing  four-day workweeks for nurse leaders — a strategy that has helped some boost recruitment, retention and staff engagement. Over the past year, the needs and well-being of nurse managers have come into focus, with hospitals and health systems taking a closer look at how to best support them in addition to bedside nurses. Survey findings have indicated nurse managers have a hard time fully disconnecting from work, and they crave much of the same work environment factors that front-line nurses do, such as the ability to take time off when needed and work-life balance support. As such, four-day schedules have increasingly become part of the conversation at many hospitals and health systems. 

The best staff retention strategies: Poll Becker's Hospital Review; by Mariah Taylor; 6/24/24 Increased schedule flexibility remains one of the most effective strategies for staff retention, a recent Becker's poll found. The poll, posted on LinkedIn in mid-June, asked participants to vote on which of three options would have the greatest effect on staff retention at their organization. Becker's has no insights into respondents' organizations or roles. Of 832 votes received, 62% of respondents said increased schedule flexibility, 29% said hiring more staff, 4% said wellness initiatives and 6% said other.