Literature Review

‘Pitt’ Crew: all 13 Emmy-nominated actors on bedside manners, blow-ups and fan theoriesTheWrap; by Steve Pond and TheWrap Staff; 8/21/26 TheWrap magazine: “It’s such a collective effort,” Noah Wyle says of making the hit HBO Max hospital drama. ... The 13 acting nominees, one shy of the record set by “Succession,” spoke to TheWrap about life in the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. Noah Wyle, Dr. Michael “Robby” Rabinovitch, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: If Wyle’s Dr. Robby is a broken hero in the first season, he’s shattered in the second, mistreating his staff and acting so self-destructively that he seems borderline suicidal. His perpetually dark mood did not go unnoticed among “Pitt” fans. ... [Continue reading for descriptions by the actors about The Pitt's characters they portray: Dr. Frank Langdon, Dr. Jack Abbot, Dr. Dennis Whitaker, Dr. Melissa King, Dr. Cassie McKay, Charge Nurse Dana Evans, Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi, Louie Cloverfield, Duke Ekins, Roxie Hamler, Becca King, Ilana Miller.]Editor's Note: Use small excerpts in your staff meetings and clinical education to explore specific topics with engaging, memorable examples. Invite insights from attendees.

[Israel] Existential suffering at the end of life in long-term care: A critical essay on recognition, dignity, and witnessPalliative Care & Social Practice; by Anat Romem, Rachel Bardach; 7/26Existential suffering is widely acknowledged in palliative care, but it remains inconsistently recognized and unevenly addressed in long-term care. This critical essay argues that the gap is not caused by clinician indifference, but by a persistent mismatch between whole-person ideals and care systems organized around measurable symptoms, risk management, task completion, and professional uncertainty. [This] ... essay identifies three interrelated shortcomings: the reduction of suffering to medically actionable symptoms; the depersonalizing effects of institutional routines on frail older adults; and the absence of shared existential literacy across interdisciplinary teams. The essay also cautions against romanticizing suffering or treating meaning-making as a clinical expectation. It proposes a practical framework of recognition, dignity, and witness: recognizing biography and identity as clinically relevant; protecting dignity in the ordinary details of care; and enacting witness ... Long-term care cannot resolve every existential wound, but it can reduce existential neglect by treating personhood as a core quality indicator of palliative care.

Palliative care with guided open communication improves patients’ well-being Oncology Nurse Advisor; by Jessica Nye, PhD; 8/13/26 Guided open communication in the palliative care setting had beneficial effects on patients with advanced lung cancer, according to findings published in Frontiers in Public Health. ... A total of 276 patients were evaluated for outcomes using a battery of validated instruments. ... The study investigators concluded, “[I]ntegrating guided honesty intervention and palliative care into a comprehensive nursing model can significantly alleviate negative emotions such as depression, anxiety, and stress in patients with advanced lung cancer, effectively reduce cancer pain and cancer-related fatigue, and significantly improve nursing satisfaction while enhancing patients’ quality of life in multiple dimensions.”

The living dead among us - a call to recognize social death ehospice; by Aizaq P. Davis; 8/5/26... In healthcare, we often focus on physical symptoms.

Hospice doctor reveals the loved ones who will visit and those who won’t in your final dreams Upworthy; by Cecily Knobler; 8/1/26 “They had a pivotal role in the formation of who you were.” ... Hospice physician and neurologist Dr. Christopher Kerr, MD, PhD, recently appeared on The Oprah Podcast to discuss his experiences with people as they neared their last breath. After interviewing over 1,500 patients described as being in “lucid” mental states, he has discovered a common theme among the memories of their dreams. ... “End-of-life experiences testify to our greatest need to love and be loved, ... To be nurtured and feel connected. To be remembered and forgiven. They provide continuity between and across lives. ... The most common thing they would dream about is seeing their deceased loved ones. And it wasn’t just anybody. It was those that loved and secured the most. So there’s almost this form of final justice. If somebody withheld love, one parent, they were excluded, but the one who nurtured and loved and secured was included.”

[Global] Following WHO Global Cancer Report, international nursing and palliative care leaders call for urgent workforce investment for rising cancer needs World Health Organization (WHO) and Internationalouncil of Nurses (ICN); Joint Statement on World Health Organization (WHO) Global Status Report on Cancer 2026; 7/24/26Based on the evidence in WHO’s recent Global Status Report on Cancer 2026, the International Council of Nurses (ICN), International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care (ISNCC) and International Children's Palliative Care Network (ICPCN) urge leaders to invest in and protect the nursing and health workforce to urgently strengthen health systems and improve cancer outcomes across the full continuum of care. ICN, ISNCC, ICPCN welcome the report’s clear message that the future of cancer care will not be secured through medicines and technology alone, but through the health workforces that are the backbone of care. We affirm that meeting the world’s most urgent cancer challenges depends on investing in nurses and multidisciplinary teams; addressing workforce shortages and burnout; and moving away from medicalized models towards people-centered, equitable health care across prevention, treatment, survivorship, rehabilitation and palliative services.

Mount Sinai South Nassau partners with MJHS to launch inpatient hospice program LI Herald Oceanside, Island Park, NY; by Abigail Grieco; 7/17/26 Mount Sinai South Nassau has expanded its continuum of care services by launching an inpatient hospice program through a new clinical partnership with MJHS Hospice and Palliative Care, providing specialized end-of-life care for patients whose needs cannot be met at home. The hospital announced that the new service will offer around-the-clock hospice care for patients facing life-limiting illnesses, while also providing support for their families during one of life’s most difficult transitions. ... The program combines the expertise of Mount Sinai South Nassau's clinical staff with MJHS Hospice's specialized team of hospice professionals.

Empath Health expands hospice support for Jewish communities Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 7/13/26 Empath Trustbridge Hospice has established a formal partnership with Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services (JFS) to expand access to end-of-life support. The partnership with JFS is aimed at improving access to culturally responsive care provided by Empath Trustbridge Hospice’s Tikvah Jewish Care & Support Program. The program provides faith-based support, honors Jewish traditions and holiday observances, as well as kosher dietary coordination. The two organizations launched the partnership after years of relationship-building and a mutual commitment to honoring the Jewish community through every stage of life. 

Missed opportunities to promote flourishing in cancer care: a brief examination of multiple myeloma Supportive Care in Cancer; by Natalie Tuckey, Hannah R. Wardill, Xavier Symons, Melissa Cantley, Kathina Ali, Hayley Beer, Gregory B. Crawford, Angelina Yong & Matthew Iasiello; 7/8/26... We propose that certain elements of flourishing, such as meaning and purpose, deep personal relationships, and cultivating virtue, can be uniquely realized if targeted appropriately toward the end of life. ...  Participants reported personal growth following their diagnosis through acceptance, meaning-making, and connection, yet reported the loneliness of dying with cancer with a desire to have discussions about death with their clinicians in addition to them maintaining treatment. On the contrary, health professionals were hesitant to discuss death with their patients, balancing hope in treatments with preparation for dying. We argue that the hesitation to discuss death thwarts the opportunity to flourish and that existing solutions such as dignity therapy, meaning-centered psychotherapy, early palliative care, and multidisciplinary support can close this gap without diminishing hope in treatments.Editor's Note: For a recent, similar research article about "flourishing," examine "Flourishing within vulnerability: on human fragility and the conditions for a habitable environment."

Dignity therapy: What matters most in end-of-life care? Medscape; by Irene Salvetti, MD; 7/7/26 ... Many patients, especially in advanced stages of illness, express the fear of no longer being themselves, of becoming a burden, or of losing their sense of meaning, role, and memory. In these experiences, suffering is not merely physical but also related to identity, relationships, and spirituality. The way patients perceive themselves as viewed by others is an important determinant of their sense of dignity. Dignity therapy was developed to give voice to this often-overlooked aspect of the experience of illness. ...  Harvey Max Chochinov introduced dignity therapy as a brief psychotherapeutic intervention for individuals with advanced or terminal illness, with the goal of preserving a sense of personal dignity during times of frailty, dependence, and the approach of death.

At Hospice Austin’s summer camp, kids find joy together after experiencing loss KUT 90.5, Austin, TX; by Olivia Aldridge; 6/29/26 On a Friday in mid-June, middle school-aged kids lined up for their shot at a summer camp rite of passage: the infamous high ropes course at John Knox Ranch in Fischer, Texas. The ranch hosts Camp Brave Heart, Hospice Austin’s annual camp for kids and teens who have experienced loss. 13-year-old Alisa bravely stepped up to the challenge first. Soon enough, she was strapped into a harness, inching along ropes strung 30 feet in the air. “You are rocking this!” the counselor belaying her from the ground yelled as Alisa neared the end of the course. “Take a second — you want to look at the view?”

Are physicians and nonphysician clinicians interchangeable? MedPageToday's KevinMD.com; by Gus W. Krucke, MD; 6/24/26 ... Teamwork is necessary in medicine. But it is not equivalence, and shared work is not shared responsibility. This essay does not argue against team-based care or the work of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and nonphysician clinicians. It argues against the unsupported conclusion that overlapping work, outcomes, and workforce pressure establish equivalence in training, judgment, and final accountability between physicians and nonphysician clinical providers.