Literature Review

10 of the biggest regrets nurses hear from dying patients SavingAdvice.com; by Amanda Blankenship; 5/15/26 ... Hospice nurse Bronnie Ware famously documented several of the most common regrets she heard from patients nearing death, including working too much and failing to stay close to loved ones. These end-of-life regrets offer important lessons for anyone hoping to live with fewer disappointments and more peace.

Proposing a framework to license autonomous clinical AI: as autonomous clinical AI continues to evolve, we need uniform regulatory standards, says LDI Fellow Penn LDI - Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics; by Alon Bergman, PhD; 5/15/26 Late last month, Utah’s Medical Licensing Board called for the immediate suspension of the state’s pilot program with the AI company Doctronic. The program lets a chatbot evaluate patients and recommend prescription renewals for nearly 200 chronic condition drugs, with the state planning to phase out physician review of each case. The board said that it only learned about the pilot after it had launched. Its warning was blunt: proceeding without proper clinical oversight “potentially places Utah citizens at risk.” ... Utah is one of at least 47 states now considering more than 250 bills governing clinical AI, producing a patchwork of rules on bias audits, payment policy, and patient consent.Editor's Note: See related article by the same author Alon Bergman, AI doctors should be licensed. Here’s a framework to do that: Utah's pilot program with Doctronic shows that federal action is necessary. 

Assessing PA student interest in hospice and palliative medicineThe American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care; by Ryan Baldeo, Rachael Broder; 4/26While hospice and palliative medicine (HPM) is a critical and growing field, Physician Associates (PAs) are underrepresented. This study sought to assess PA student interest in HPM and identify strategies to increase engagement with the Physician Associates in Hospice and Palliative Medicine (PAHPM) organization. The survey assessed attitudes toward HPM and identified barriers to organizational involvement. Lack of awareness was the primary barrier to involvement (75.8%). Students expressed interest in educational resources (63.6%), job opportunities (57.6%), and mentorship (51.5%). Most respondents (81.8%) do not currently follow PAHPM on social media, but 72.7% indicated they would follow an Instagram account.

Ribbon cutting held for Bernardo Hospice Care The Newberry Observer, Newberry, SC; by Kelly Duncan; 5/11/26 Dr. Michael Bernardo has been a staple in the Newberry community for over 30 years, providing care for families in all stages of life, from childbirth and adult medicine to making the transition to geriatric care and opening his own hospice practice, Bernardo Hospice Care, in 2023. Last week, Bernardo Hospice Care was officially welcomed into the community with a ribbon cutting ceremony. ... Earlier this year Beranardo was named Physician of the Year by the SC Home Care & Hospice Association. ...

AI ethical minefields in clinical decision-making Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 5/11/26 ... Quickly evolving AI technologies will play a role in hospices’ sustainability as demand rises and workforce resources dwindle. Hospices need innovative care models, which involves leveraging AI in different ways, said Dr. Kimberly Curseen, the new board of directors president at the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM). ... Ensuring accurate data and safeguarding patient privacy and autonomy can lead companies to run into certain AI ethical “danger zones.” Hospices need to understand the limitations of AI, particularly when considering the use of these technologies to augment clinical decision making, according to Dr. Javier Zaglul, hospice and palliative care fellow at Florida Atlantic University.

A daughter honors her father in career choice while following her mother’s lead: Sara and Alicia Offenbacker on the day Alicia graduated with her nursing degree from Rutgers Camden SNJ Today; by Margie Barham; 5/10/26 For Sara and Alicia Offenbacker, hospice care is more than a profession; it’s a shared calling rooted in love, loss, and the powerful bond between a mother and daughter. Sara Offenbacker has spent the past four years as program manager at NJHealth Hospice and Palliative Care. ... Working alongside her is her daughter, Alicia, an RN case manager who plays a central role in patient care ... Working together is meaningful, but Alicia’s decision to become a nurse and to choose hospice runs much deeper.

Leveraging generative AI within the ADDIE model: A transformative approach for nursing professional developmentThe Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing; by Maryann Windey, John Bruewer; 4/26This article explores how nursing professional development (NPD) practitioners can use artificial intelligence (AI) and generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) across each phase of the ADDIE (Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate) instructional design model to drive timely, personalized, data-driven education that aligns with health care system priorities, boosts learner engagement, and improves outcomes. Integrating Gen AI within the ADDIE framework positions NPD practitioners as strategic enablers of agile, responsive education. It allows for faster, tailored content development, real-time learner adaptation and evaluation, and alignment of education with organizational performance.

Closing the gender gap in medicine: 5 ways to support women physicians CAPC | Center to Advance Palliative Care; by  Laurel Kilpatrick, MD, FAAHPM and Sonia Malhotra, MD, MS, FAAP; 4/27/26 From allyship to advocating for systemic change, learn how you can you champion women physicians so they can lead and thrive. Having more women physicians in medicine isn’t just a matter of equity—it’s important for patient outcomes. ... The strategies outlined at the end of the blog apply to all female health care professionals, not just physicians. 

End-of-life doctors reveal 5 common fears people face in their final moments SavingAdvice.com; by Amanda Blankenship; 5/3/26  Most people avoid thinking about death, but doctors who work in hospice and palliative care say the same fears come up again and again. ... Research shows that death anxiety is common, with many people experiencing fear tied to the process of dying, not just death itself. ... here are five of the most common fears [identified by these doctors] among people facing their final moments.

Hospice nurses are changing how we care for patients at the end-of-life South Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report; by Karen Peterson; 5/1/26 Hospice nurses are often associated with compassion at the end of life. What is less understood is that they are also among the most clinically skilled nurses in healthcare. During National Nurses Week (May 6-12), it is important to recognize the many ways nurses shape patient care across the continuum. Hospice nursing is not a step away from acute care. It is an extension of it. ... A hospice nurse may be called to a patient’s home late at night for uncontrolled pain or severe shortness of breath .... In that moment, the nurse must assess, intervene and stabilize, while also supporting the family through fear and uncertainty. 

Improving advanced practice clinicians' knowledge and comfort of physician orders for life-sustaining treatment form: A homecare quality improvement initiativeGeriatric Nursing; by Jeanette M Ruiz, Yvonne Y Wu, Kristen R Choi, Emily J Martin, Eden R Brauer; 4/26Many advanced practice clinicians (APCs) lack formal training on how to effectively discuss the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) with chronically ill older adults, often leading to communication gaps and delayed end-of-life decisions. This quality improvement initiative aimed to improve APCs knowledge and comfort in initiating and documenting POLST discussions with community-dwelling geriatric patients. A one-hour online training, incorporating didactic instruction, role-playing, and debriefing, was delivered for APCs providing home-based care. Surveys conducted before and after the training measured ... improvements ...  in POLST completion documentation ... , POLST discussions documentation ... , POLST upload documentation ... , hospice knowledge ... , palliative care knowledge ... , preparedness to discuss POLST ... , comfort with end of life conflict discussions ... , addressing religious/cultural perspectives ... , and use of structured communication frameworks ...

Awards and Recognitions: April 2026

Mercy film starts dialogue on end-of-life care and dignity in dying The News Mill; 4/21/26 Director Mitul Patel revealed that his film ‘Mercy’ draws inspiration from actor Paresh Rawal’s account of his mother’s prolonged illness and coma, shared during an interview. This real-life story shaped the film’s exploration of end-of-life decisions and moral conflict. Patel told ANI, “As a writer, I look for conflicts in stories. I couldn’t find a bigger conflict than this where a son has to face this choice of letting go of his mother. ... “It will be better when we talk about mortality openly. End of life care, dignity in dying. We will start a conversation about all this. This is the goal of the movie.”