Literature Review

Demand for nurses continues to eclipse supply—reportMcKnight’s Senior LivingDecember 14, 2023Almost three years after the start of the pandemic, a shortage of registered nurses continues to eclipse the supply of qualified professionals. “The US shortage of registered nurses has been called a crisis. Burnout, staff turnover, a growing and aging baby-boomer population, and a lack of educators have contributed to high demand and undersupply, a longstanding problem aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to a new report from ADP Research Institute. 

Moving through the holidays with grief—crafting a plan can helpMorgan Messenger (Berkeley Springs, WV)December 12, 2023Christmas and winter holidays are portrayed as festive, bright and jolly times to celebrate and enjoy life. But the holidays can look and feel different for someone who has lost a loved one, is in the midst of major illness, or for someone who has suffered a traumatic event that’s brought significant change to their lives. Navigating the balance between celebration and grief is unique for everyone. Grief Counselor Deanna Rudy of Hospice of the Panhandle said acknowledging the change in life is an important step in making this holiday season manageable for families.  

Experts offer suggestions for dealing with holiday anxiety and depressioMacomb (MI) DailyDecember 10, 2023At this time of year, everywhere around there are full of holiday images of family gatherings, brightly lit trees, lavish gifts and tables laden with rich foods, beverages and desserts. For those whose depression and anxiety is triggered by the holiday season and those who have lost a loved one, a treasured pet, or even a job and are grieving, the holidays can be tough to navigate. “One of the things we do say is to know your own limitations,” said Karen Monts, practice manager of Counseling Services at Hospice of Michigan. “Don’t feel pressured to do things a certain way or allow images on television to get into your mind so that you feel like everyone is having a wonderful holiday except you, because we know that is not the case.” Monts says trying to plan ahead for the holiday can help to alleviate stress and depression. “You know this is going to be a different holiday without that loved one, so try and figure out what works for you,” Monts said. ... Monts advises people who are experiencing grief, anxiety and depression at the holidays to use the “AIM” method to sort out their emotions: access what you are feeling; identify what you are experiencing; and manage what you do in response to those feelings.

St. Peter’s Hospice celebrates its 30th annual “Light a Life” fundraiserKTVH-TV (Helena, MT)December 8, 2023Helena, MT—On Thursday, December 7, the St. Peter’s Health Foundation celebrated its 30th annual “Light a Life” event.

Severna Park Teens Fold Hope Into Gifts For Hospice PatientsSeverna Park [MD] VoiceDecember 8, 2023... Kateri Jarvis and Hannah Kim hope classmates will help them make hundreds of origami cranes to give to Hospice of the Chesapeake patients. Inspired by the Wishing Crane Project, a nonprofit organization started by high schoolers in Arizona, the Severna Park High School juniors worked through the summer to start a chapter at their school.

1 in 8 older adults use cannabis; experts urge screeningMcKnight’s Long Term Care NewsDecember 8, 2023Cannabis use in older adults is on the rise and clinicians should screen for it, according to a new study. A report on people ages 50 through 80 finds that 12% of older adults say they’ve consumed a substance that contains delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the past year. Additionally, 4% of people in that age group say they have substances that include THC multiple times a week. ... The new findings were published in Cannabis and Cannabinoids Research last month by a team from the University of Michigan’s Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation. Authors of the report said that people taking the products need more education on them, and older adults need to be screened for cannabis-related risks. ... The poll asked about products containing THC, but didn’t differentiate between medical and recreational use of cannabis.

America Is Having Yet Another Drug Shortage. Here’s Why It Keeps Happening.By Emily Tucker, PhDNew York TimesDecember 6, 2023The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists found this summer that nearly all of the members it surveyed were experiencing drug shortages, which generally affect half a million Americans. Cancer patients have scrambled as supplies of chemotherapy drugs dwindle. ... Over half of the shortages documented this summer by health consulting firm IQVIA had persisted for more than two years. But even though drug shortages affect millions of Americans, policymakers and industry leaders have provided little to no long-term relief for people in need. ... The people who are most affected by supply chain vulnerabilities—patients—are also those with least say in the choice to buy from reliable manufacturers. ... Legislative action is the only real way to ensure the availability of essential medications. After 20 years of drug shortages, it seems clear that markets alone are not the solution. And there are a few specific ways Congress should address drug shortages. The first is to ensure better quality drug manufacturing. Modernizing manufacturing facilities would make them more reliable and prevent shortages. The second is to improve the adaptability of drug manufacturing itself. Manufacturers should be able to switch quickly to alternative facilities or to increase production when demand unexpectedly increases. The last is to maintain buffer inventory of essential medications within our health care system.

Nurses seeking work in U.S. on the rise despite visa pauseModern HealthcareDecember 6, 2023A record number of occupational visa certificates were issued this year to nurses and other healthcare workers by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools. The nonprofit, which helps foreign-educated nurses work in other countries by verifying their credentials for federal and state agencies, said it issued almost 27,000 visa certificates this year—85% of which were for registered nurses—twice as many as in 2022. The number of certificates has quadrupled since 2017. The commission’s report also found that 78% of those who applied for a visa certificate intended to apply for a permanent green card, an increase from 64% in 2022.

Hospice of Santa Barbara’s Light Up a Life Ceremony Honors Lost Loved Ones During Holiday SeasonSanta Barbara (CA) NoozhawkDecember 6, 2023Montecito, CA—Hospice of Santa Barbara brought people together Wednesday evening for its 40th annual Light Up a Life ceremony in Montecito to honor loved ones who have passed away. Each year, Hospice of Santa Barbara holds this event in locations throughout the South Coast, where people can purchase paper stars to hang on the community Christmas tree and dedicate them to family or friends who have died. ... “One of the reasons we come here every season is because we want to be able to look around and know that we are not alone in our grief, in our love and care and remembrance of those we’ve lost,” the Rev. Julia Hamilton said. ... Hospice of Santa Barbara also has a Virtual Tree of Remembrancene where people can dedicate a digital star and upload photos and messages for their loved ones.

Medical marijuana takes off in Mississippi, but stalls out in AlabamaBirmingham (AL) NewsDecember 5, 2023Alabama passed a law legalizing medical marijuana in May 2021. Mississippi followed seven months later in January 2022. While Alabama’s medical marijuana licensing process has faced several deadlocks in the face of lawsuits, mismanagement and political opposition, Mississippi’s has marched steadily forward. Its first dispensaries opened in early 2023, and the number has already grown to about 100 by year’s end, said Henry Crisler, assistant director of the Mississippi Medical Marijuana Association. ... Dispensary owners said the industry has encountered some obstacles in Mississippi but have also shown that medical marijuana has a place in the Deep South.

A nursing reboot—Jobs are on the rise in FloridaTampa Bay Times/Florida TrendNovember 29, 2023All the (nursing shortage) churn resulted in the highest vacancy and turnover rates for hospital RNs ever recorded by the Florida Hospital Association, which tracks such data. Three years later, there are signs of a rebound. Vacancy rates for hospital RNs have dropped from 21% in 2022 to 13% in 2023, and turnover dropped from 32% to 20% over the same period.

It’s OK to Never ‘Get Over’ Your GriefBy Mikolaj Slawkowski-Rode, MA, PhDNew York TimesDecember 3, 2023Over the past century, traditional mourning practices have fallen out of favor in the West. Black is now usually worn only to a funeral, and not always then. But traditional mourning practices were designed to do just that: to preserve a place for the dead among the living, to help mourners carry the weight of their grief not by getting over it but by maintaining their relationship with the deceased (as metaphysically suspect as that might sound to modern ears). Today we are encouraged to step out from the shadow loss casts over our lives and return to happiness. ... This approach to grief and mourning might seem to be a good thing, like picking yourself up after a fall. It is arguably less morbid, with its emphasis on “getting closure” and “moving on” in a process whose goal is “healing.” But I fear the benefits do not outweigh the costs. ... [Editor’s Note: The author is an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Warsaw and a research fellow at Blackfriars Hall at the University of Oxford. He is the editor of “The Meaning of Mourning: Perspectives on Death, Loss, and Grief.”]

Savannah Hospice honors loved ones for the holidaysWTGS-TV (Savannah, GA)December 3, 2023Savannah, GA—Hospice Savannah hosted their 32nd annual Tree of Light Memorial Ceremony on Sunday. The memorial honored the memory of loved ones during the holiday season.