Literature Review

Three found guilty of fraud in South Florida nursing-school ‘diploma mill’ trialMiami HeraldDecember 15, 2023Three people charged with playing crucial roles in a South Florida nursing-school “diploma mill” were found guilty by a federal jury Friday, after a three-week trial where prosecutors accused the defendants of corrupting the healthcare field. The defendants, a former registrar for the defunct Palm Beach School of Nursing and two recruiters from the northeast, were accused of selling fake transcripts and degrees to thousands of students for millions of dollars so they could qualify to attain licenses as nurses.

For those who have lost loved ones, Fargo woman’s memory bears make grief easier to bearDickinson (ND) PressDecember 14, 2023Fargo, ND—... Anne Kidder couldn’t agree more. The Fargo seamstress/crafter has found memorial gifts like her memory bears are her most popular product line. In addition to the bears, she also makes memorial elephants, lions and even unicorns. For parents who have lost a child to miscarriage or stillbirth, she makes a line of smaller bears, which can be weighted to the weight of the child at the time they were born. In addition, she makes memorial pillows, framed and embroidered wall hangings, holiday ornaments, keychains and quilts.

End-of-life doulas are changing conversation around death in Central OregonCentral Oregon Daily (Bend, OR)December 14, 2023Sisters, OR—... Cheryl Adcox has been working as an end-of-life doula in Central Oregon since 2018. That’s when the registered nurse opened Hand-in-Hand End of Life Doula Services. For her, death is “sacred and it’s magical and it’s part of the mystery of life.” It’s a view that few people understand. It’s one these death doulas understand intimately.

Kansas Senate president says he’s open to discussing medical marijuana—but not recreationalKCUR-FM (Kansas City, MO)December 14, 2023During the upcoming legislative session in Kansas, medical marijuana is expected to be back for debate. Senate President Ty Masterson, a Republican from Andover, fought the bill last year because he said it was too close to fully legalizing marijuana in the Sunflower State. However, Masterson told KCUR’s Up To Date on Wednesday that he is open to a discussion. 

AdventHealth University, new osteopathic college partner to meet region’s need for doctorsOrlando Business JournalDecember 12, 2023An existing medical college has partnered with one opening soon to keep more doctors in the Orlando region. AdventHealth University—tied to the Altamonte Springs-based nonprofit health system AdventHealth—and the upcoming Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine will guarantee admission interviews students in AHU’s bachelor’s degree in health sciences and bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences at the Horizon West medical college. The partnership will allow for students at the osteopathic college to rotate through AdventHealth hospitals in 2026 and several AdventHealth physicians also will serve as faculty at the Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine. 

‘You can continue a conversation’—Letters to the dead arrive at this P.O. box in L.A.Los Angeles TimesDecember 14, 2023Mail gets sent to the dead all the time—ads, renewal notices, unpaid bills. But if you want to send a letter to someone you’ve lost with the chance that they’ll actually receive it, there’s a box at a Los Angeles post office that carries a mysterious power. Postal Service for the Dead, started by artist Janelle Ketcher, provides the living with a way to physically send letters to those who have exited this realm. The letters are stored, and if so desired, shared with the public. 

Tending a Garden May Help Lessen GriefBlog PostSeven PondsDecember 3, 2023Tending a garden—planting, tilling, digging, weeding, watering, and growing plants, flowers, or food—could beget us better health and wellness. ... A comprehensive compilation of research by the National Institutes in Health confirms that a regular dose of gardening reduces stress, improves physical health and bolsters our mood. In fact, gardening was shown to positively alter electrical activity in the brain. So it stands to reason that tending a garden could positively impact those who are grieving a loss. ... Reviving a garden that once belonged to a loved one may also soothe a grieving soul.

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.

Finding purpose in the journey—Hospice volunteer shares joy of finding life againWest Plains (MO) Daily QuillDecember 8, 2023West Plains, MO—For Kay “Katie” Dowler, volunteering one day a week at Ozarks Healthcare At Home: Hospice has become her way of giving and finding a renewed sense of purpose. The journey with Ozarks Healthcare At Home: Hospice has come full circle, from being patient’s partner to a grateful volunteer.

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.