Literature Review

Increasing access to pediatric palliative care in a large hospital system: Trials and triumphs from an APRN initiativeJournal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing; by Faith Kinnear; 4/26 According to the Pediatric Palliative Care Task Force formed in 2020 and hosted by the National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care, children with serious illness should have access to palliative care that meets the population’s unique needs. Taking care to assess needs, communicate with leadership teams, develop rapport with key stakeholders, and utilize the support staff already in place allowed for successful implementation of pediatric palliative care services at 2 satellite campuses over a 5-year span. Services included inpatient and outpatient patient care; ongoing family bereavement support; compiling staff resources and providing ongoing staff training in primary pediatric palliative care skills. Each satellite campus now has dedicated pediatric palliative care providers. This article outlines how the satellite palliative care programs were developed, the challenges and successes in the process, and the role of the APRN in program development.

QIM26-302: Hospice at the bedside: A Quality Improvement Initiative to improve end of life care and reduce inpatient mortality in a cancer center Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network - JNCCN; by Matthew Murphy, Jacqueline Young, Hardik Thakkar, Sean Powell, Timothy Hembree, and David Buxton; 3/31/26 ...  Patients dying in the hospital may not survive transfer to external hospice units. ...  Integration of GIP Hospice beds into the hospital has streamlined delivery of timely, comprehensive EoL care for patients and bereavement support for families. The collaborative care model allows the hospital-based team to deliver care with active support from the hospice agency. Families express appreciation for the program, especially in situations when the patient is not stable for transfer.  

Seniors who say they’re “not afraid of death” often still carry these quiet worries they don’t talk about Bolde; by Julie Brown; 4/1/26 My grandmother said it so matter-of-factly that it almost stopped the conversation. ... "I'm not afraid of it," she said. "I've had a very good life. When it's time, it's time." And she meant it. I believed her completely. But then, a few minutes later, she mentioned almost in passing that she hoped she wouldn't "get confused" at the end.

Top ten tips palliative care clinicians should know about wound care Journal of Palliative Medicine; by Nicole Dussault, Jared Morphew, Veronica Nwagwu, Brittany Gatta, Angela Richardson, Nancy Payne, E Foy White-Chu, Lidiette Wilson, Heather Dalton, Christopher E Winstead-Derlega, Katherine Ramos, Christopher A Jones; 3/30/26 ... In this article, we outline key tips for assessing and managing wounds, including understanding prognosis and goals of care, evaluating care settings, tailoring management to the underlying disease process, and addressing symptoms such as pain, odor, and psychosocial distress. A thoughtful, interdisciplinary approach is essential to reduce the physical and emotional burden wounds place on patients and caregivers.Editor's Note: As CMS implements the HOPE (Hospice Outcomes & Patient Evaluation) Tool as of October 1, 2025, skin and wound assessment becomes a visible quality marker in hospice—requiring structured documentation, ongoing reassessment, and clear alignment with patient goals. 

Part of the ‘nephrology toolbox’: ASN releases conservative kidney management guidance Healio; by Lucas Laboy, Susan P. Y. Wong, MD, MS, Jane O. Schell, MD, MHS; 3/27/26 The American Society of Nephrology issued new kidney health guidance on conservative management as a practical treatment option for patients with kidney failure. Key Takeaways:

Feasibility and acceptability of a self-written, tele-delivered, LGBTQ+-affirming adaptation of dignity therapy for LGBTQ+ women with advanced cancerAmerican Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine; by Lexie Wille, Kristie A. Wood, Mike C. Parent; 2/26Dignity therapy (DT) is effective in addressing dignity-related existential distress in people with advanced cancer, but the traditional protocol assumes supportive family structures, uses heteronormative language, and requires synchronous clinician facilitation. These features may limit accessibility for LGBTQ+ individuals. This pilot demonstrated that a self-written, tele-delivered LGBTQ+-affirming DT adaptation was feasible and acceptable for LGBTQ+ women with advanced cancer.

Palliative care should be integrated into cardiology therapy earlier, says study Medical Xpress; by Inka Väth; 3/25/26 An international group of authors has called for a shift in cardiovascular care. ... For clinical practice, the group of authors therefore recommends a stronger structural integration of palliative care content into cardiology. This includes interdisciplinary care teams, shared treatment models, and more intensive training in internal communication and symptom management. Palliative care should also be given greater consideration in medical education. ... Palliative care should be the standard in cardiology, not the exception. After all, the success of sustainable cardiology will not be measured solely by how long people live, but by how well they can live.

It’s time to let stereotypes about older adults die McKnights Home Care; by Liza Berger; 3/6/26 They say there is strength in numbers. If that is true, the nation’s roughly 67 million baby boomers should not be afraid to speak up about how to talk to and refer to older adults. It’s time they did.  I was reminded of this after reading a smart post by Anthony Cirillo, a caregiving expert. In the post, he talked about how people (younger ones primarily) casually make ageist comments without realizing the harm they cause. Cirillo gives the examples of a young adult referring to him as “Pops” and another asking him if he knows how to use an iPhone.Editor's Note: One of the worst memories for me about my dad's last week of life was the way a physical therapist spoke to my dad--our gentle, gentle-man-ly giant of a man in both character and stature. Fortunately, I was a strong advocate and asked him (in her presence), "Dad, am I saying it right?" Even in his vulnerable state, he voiced, "Yes. ... Yes." There was no apology. No follow-up. Years later, I invite you to pair these descriptions with our 2025 post, "Honey, Sweetie, Dearie: The perils of elderspeak." 

What we get wrong about comfort at the end of life: Jennifer Martnick Cleveland.com, Cleveland, OH; by guest columnist Jennifer Martnick; 3/22/26 When people hear the word comfort in the context of serious illness or the end of life, they often picture something passive. A quiet room. Soft blankets. And a sense that medical care has somehow stepped back. That misunderstanding is one of the most persistent myths in health care. Comfort care is not about doing less. In many ways, it requires more skill, more attention and more presence than almost any other kind of medicine. At Reserve Care (formerly Hospice of the Western Reserve), comfort care means active, expert care delivered by clinicians trained to manage pain, ease symptoms and support the emotional and spiritual needs of patients and families facing serious illness.

Study: Families pleased after meeting nursing home advance care planning specialist McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Foster Stubbs; 3/10/26 Overall, family caregivers who met with advance care planning (ACP) specialists reported positive experiences in a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. The study enrolled 28 family caregivers of nursing home residents with dementia who had engaged in an ACP discussion with the ACP specialist in the prior three-month period. ... [Authors said,] “Their reports of needs and challenges reinforce the importance of ACP training programs like the ACP Specialist that promote routine conversations in the NH to support family decision makers for persons living with dementia.”

How "The Pitt" can prepare you for the end of lifeKatie Couric Media; by Maggie Parker; 3/20/26 If you're sensitive to seeing death on screen, you shouldn't watch The Pitt. Set in a major city's emergency room, on the hit medical procedural, death is inevitable, and frequent. ... The way end-of-life issues are addressed on the show was carefully thought out and intentionally diverse. ... Unfortunately, it's rare for the media to portray death and dying authentically, according to Dr. Underleider's analysis of more than 141,000 scripted TV episodes from 2010 to 2020. ... This season, The Pitt takes its quest to realistically depict death to another level, with the introduction of a terminal cancer patient, Roxie, who knows what's coming and doesn't want to go home to face it. We spoke to Dr. Ungerleider about her reaction to Roxie's final moments, her experience working with the creators, what they get right about end of life, and why it matters. ...Editor's Note: Pair this with our previous posts, "HBO’s ‘The Pitt’ inspires viewers to consider organ donation, end-of-life planning" and "How ‘The Pitt' gets death right."