Literature Review

North Augusta hospice nurse arrested after allegedly using fake prescriptions Aiken Standard, Aiken, SC; by Matthew Christian; 1/22/25 A North Augusta hospice nurse has been arrested after allegedly acquiring prescription drugs with fake prescriptions. South Carolina Bureau of Drug Control agents arrested Amy Elizabeth Strand, 44, on Jan. 17, according to an Aiken County Sheriff's Office booking report. Strand obtained lorazepam 2 mg tablets from the North Augusta Kroger on June 22, 2024, Agent B.A. Stafford said in a warrant. ... To get the pills, Strand called in a fake prescription in the name of a patient under her care, Stafford continued. ... Strand has been charged with three counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and one count of attempting to obtain a controlled substance by fraud. 

If you’ve overcome these 9 challenges in life, you’re more resilient than you think Personal Branding Blog; by Lucas Graham; 1/21/25 Resilience isn’t always about being unshakable or invincible. Sometimes, it’s just about surviving the chaos, picking yourself up after the mess, and somehow finding the courage to keep going. In the moment, it’s hard to see how strong you really are—you’re just trying to make it through. But when you pause and look back, you realize the grit it took to get here. ... [If] you’ve been through these nine challenges and made it out, you’re way more resilient than you give yourself credit for.

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?

DEA proposes special registrations for telehealth prescribing TechTarget - xtelligent Virtual Healthcare; by Anuja Vaidya; 1/15/25  The DEA is set to publish a proposal for a special registrations framework that would allow certain healthcare practitioners to prescribe controlled substances via telehealth without performing an in-person exam first. The unpublished proposal made available on the Federal Register details the special registrations framework, which includes three types of registrations:

Why some doctors have started asking patients about their spiritual lives KCLU - NPR for the California Coast; by Ben Thorp; 1/14/25 ... [Some] hospitals have begun to embrace programs targeted at spiritual support in addition to physical care. Those programs are supported by a growing body of research on the health benefits of spiritual practice. One of those programs is out of the Indiana University Health system, which connects patients being discharged from the hospital with individuals called "connectors," if the patient doesn't have a community support network of their own. ... [Case description of Timothy Moss:] After Moss' struggles were identified by his doctor, he was connected to a unique program within the Indiana University Health system called the Congregational Care Network. That program pairs patients with members of local faith groups who spend time with patients over a 12-week period.

Guidelines for evaluating, diagnosing, and disclosing dementia published by Alzheimer’s Association Practical Neurology; 1/14/25 The Diagnostic Evaluation, Testing, Counseling, and Disclosure Clinical Practice Guideline (DETeCD-ADRD CPG) Workgroup, convened and funded by the Alzheimer’s Association, has developed new recommendations for clinicians to use when evaluating patients with possible Alzheimer disease (AD) or AD and related dementias (ADRD). An executive summary of the recommendations for use in primary care and other practice settings was published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, along with a companion article summarizing specific guidance for specialists. The Workgroup included representatives from  primary, specialty, subspecialty, long-term, and palliative care disciplines as well as the fields of health economics and bioethics.  Editor's note: Click for open access to the Alzheimer's Association clinical practice guideline ..., executive summary of recommendations for primary care. 

Best healthcare jobs in 2025: US NewsBecker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 1/14/25U.S. News & World Report released its 2025 best jobs rankings on Jan. 14, highlighting the best jobs across 17 categories, including healthcare. The media company examined data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to identify jobs with the greatest hiring demand. Jobs are then scored based on future prospects, wage potential, employment, safety and stability, and work-life balance. More information about the methodology is available here. For the second consecutive year, nurse practitioner took the No. 1 spot as the best job in the U.S. and also topped the healthcare list. These are the top 25 jobs in healthcare, according to U.S. News, listed alongside their median salary: 

Hospice of the Chesapeake expands inpatient care with high-flow oxygen therapy Southern Maryland News Net; by Hospice of the Chesapeake; 1/13/25 Hospice of the Chesapeake is proud to announce the addition of high-flow oxygen therapy to its inpatient care centers, enhancing the quality of care for patients with complex respiratory needs. ... High-flow oxygen therapy is designed to deliver precise oxygen levels, improving breathing efficiency and overall comfort for patients. ... “Adding high-flow oxygen therapy to our inpatient care centers represents our commitment to providing comprehensive, patient-centered care,” said Dr. Sonja Richmond, Vice President of Medical Affairs & Hospice Medical Director. “This advancement enables us to better meet the needs of our patients and their families during a challenging time.”

Home … where we all want to be The Journal; Dr. Sarah Phillips, Medical Director Hospice of the Panhandle; 1/12/25 Two days before Christmas, I arrived at the home of a patient who had been recently admitted to Hospice services. ... [Story of the patient being on a ventilator in a hospital.] This courageous and self-determined woman expressed the desire to be free from pain, suffering, and the complications and progression of her disease. Knowing that the ventilator was life-sustaining and essentially breathing for her, she made the decision to stop it. To ensure her comfort during discontinuation of the ventilator, the hospice team was present before, during, and after the procedure. Medications were used to ease shortness of breath, pain, and anxiety. ... “It’s a Wonderful Life” was playing on the TV, the Christmas tree was lit. I looked over and see the daughter wiping away her mother’s tears. Each reassured the other that everything will be OK and that they are at peace with this decision. As the medications took effect, the patient drifted off to sleep. The ventilator was stopped. Next, something happens that I will never forget. The daughter leans in and whispers to the patient, “Mom, the ventilator is off now, you are back in total control. This was profound to me on many levels. It certainly spoke to the power and importance of autonomy, the ability to make independent decisions that are aligned with one’s values and goals. ... Despite working in end-of-life care for over a decade, I still have these moments of being overwhelmed by the human spirit.

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.

Physician engagement in addressing health-related social needs and burnoutJAMA Network Open; Masami Tabata-Kelly, MBA, MA; Xiaochu Hu, PhD; Michael J. Dill, MA; Philip M. Alberti, PhD; Karen Bullock, PhD, LICSW, APHSW-C; William Crown, PhD; Malika Fair, MD, MPH; Peter May, PhD; Pilar Ortega, MD; Jennifer Perloff, PhD; 12/24In this cross-sectional study of 5,447 nationally representative physicians in the US, 34.3% regularly dedicated time to addressing HRSNs [health-related social needs]. The study identified variability in physicians’ engagement in addressing HRSNs and found that higher engagement was associated with a greater likelihood of burnout. The findings suggest the need for thorough assessment of the potential unintended consequences of physicians’ engagement in addressing HRSNs on their well-being.

End-of-life care can be more aggressive for cancer patients with defibrillators Medical Xpress; by UT Southwestern Medical Center; 1/8/25 Patients with advanced cancer who also had cardiac defibrillators were more likely than those without these implants to receive aggressive end-of-life care, a team led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers found in a new study. The findings, published in Cancer, could help physicians guide patients in this growing population toward care that better matches their goals. ... The findings showed that about 6% of patients with advanced cancer also had [implantable cardioverter defibrillators] ICDs. However, significantly more of the ICD patients received aggressive care during the last month of their lives compared to those without these devices.

Nearly 5,000 Providence Oregon workers issue strike notice Becker's Hospital Review; by Kristin Kuchno; 12/30/24 Nearly 5,000 front-line healthcare workers from Providence Oregon hospitals plan to begin an open-ended strike Jan. 10. The Oregon Nurses Association issued a 10-day notice following intensive bargaining, according to a Dec. 30 news release from the union. The striking workers include physicians, nurses and other healthcare staff from all eight Providence Oregon hospitals and six clinics. The union is urging Providence to invest in patient safety and provide competitive wages and benefits to support recruitment and retention efforts. ... Providence Oregon has secured replacement workers and identified other strategies to maintain patient care, Chief Executive Jennifer Burrows, RN, said in a message to caregivers shared with Becker's. She said the system has communicated to union leaders that bargaining stops during a work stoppage to prioritize patient care.