Literature Review

[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.

The ASCENT Consortium - Two Requests for Applications are now open!ASCENT Consortium press release; 7/22/26The ASCENT Consortium is pleased to announce two Requests for Applications (RFA) are now open, with letters of intent due 8/10/26:

Difficult discussions: How UTC nursing faculty are using AI to teach the hardest conversations in care The University of Tennessee Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN; by Chuck Wasserstrom; 7/20/26 Two University of Tennessee at Chattanooga College of Nursing faculty members recently shared their work on AI-assisted simulation with an international audience, leading a webinar on how the technology can help prepare graduate nurse practitioner students for difficult conversations in palliative care: Dr. Chris Doneski, director of UTC’s acute care nurse practitioner program and a simulation faculty member, and Dr. Rosebelle Peters, nursing simulation program director and senior lecturer. ... The presentation centered on a gap the two faculty members see in graduate nursing education. Doneski said students often receive training in procedures, prescribing and transition to practice, but communication training for difficult situations can be harder to build in meaningful ways. ... The recorded webinar is available through HealthySimulation.com. Users must register for a free account to view it.

New easy-to-navigate web edition: A history of care - 250 years of American need, service and hope Composing Life Out of Loss, partnered with Hospice & Palliative Care Today; by Joy S. Berger; 7/20/26 Growing out of your overwhelming response to our July 4th, 2026 commemoration, we’re now releasing a new web edition of A History of Care: 250 Years of American Need, Service and Hope to carry this work forward. We invite you to use this living history—in your own setting and across our field—as we write the next chapters of care together.

A new way to prepare doctors for difficult conversations University of Rochester; by Bob Marcotte; 7/10/26 [This post was originally published on July 15, 2021. It has been updated and republished to include a video about using SOPHIE for dentist-patient communication training.] As many as 68 percent of late-stage cancer patients leave their doctor’s offices either underestimating the severity of their disease, overestimating their life expectancy—or both. These misunderstandings can hinder the ability of patients and their families to make realistic decisions about whether to continue aggressive treatments or instead turn to palliative care. To address the problem, University of Rochester computer scientists, palliative care specialists, and practicing oncologists are perfecting SOPHIE (Standardized Online Patient for Healthcare Interaction Education)—an online virtual “patient” that helps physicians practice how to communicate effectively with late-stage cancer patients about their disease.

HMN 2026: How AI in nursing raises questions about safety, ethics, and human care Health Medicine Network; by University of Pennsylvania, George Demiris et al; 6/26/26 As artificial intelligence systems spread through hospitals and clinics, a growing debate is emerging over whether the technology will ultimately strengthen nursing care—or gradually replace parts of it. That tension is at the center of a new University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing report, “Artificial Intelligence and Nursing Science: Opportunities, Challenges, Implications, and Guidelines,” published in Nursing Outlook. The paper warns that while AI could reduce paperwork and improve patient monitoring, it also raises concerns about bias, accountability, patient privacy and whether hospitals may view some nursing functions as replaceable.

The profound meaning and mystery of deathbed visions The Washington Post; by Caitlin Gibson; 6/19/26 As Shirley was dying, she kept seeing the grandmother she’d lost long ago.For as long as she can remember, Debbie Eichensehr has feared losing her mother, Shirley. Throughout her early childhood and well into her teen years, she tried to quell her anxiety with a bedtime ritual. Before going to sleep, she would kiss her mother’s cheek and recite the same words:

Hospice care provider and compassion fatigue research projectPersonal communication; by Michelle Jackson; 6/10/26Researchers at Missouri State University are conducting a research survey regarding compassion fatigue, resilience, and participation in meaningful activities for hospice care providers. Participation deadline 7/12/26. For additional information and to participate, click here.

Bridging the gap: a hospitalist-designed, nurse-driven palliative care model in a community hospital The Hospitalist; by Natasha Rai Morris, MD, MHA, CHCQM, CRCR, CCDS and Jessica Staton, MSN, MBA, RN, CCM; 6/1/26 ... [The] number of clinicians trained in palliative care is insufficient to meet the increasing demand for goals-of-care and advance care planning discussions. ... To address this gap, a 90-day pilot program was designed and implemented by a hospitalist and registered nurse care manager. The purpose was straightforward: expand access to early goals-of-care conversations, advance care planning, and appropriate hospice referral without waiting for a fully staffed specialty palliative team. ... In short, this model produced measurable documentation gains, earlier advance-care planning, and culture change toward goal-concordant care without requiring a full dedicated palliative team on site.

Palliative care research project: the NIH-backed initiative in care across the lifespan will be co-led by Boston College School of Social Work Ahearn Endowed Professor Karen Bullock Boston College News, Boston, MA; by Sean Smith; May 2026 The NIH awarded a $64 million grant to establish the Advancing the Science of Palliative Care Research across the Lifespan (ASCENT) consortium, for which Bullock, the Louise McMahon Ahearn Endowed Professor at BCSSW, will serve as a co-investigator. ... These scientists will develop a national scientific infrastructure and community to advance palliative care research; create new research knowledge and research methodologies; foster career development and impact of the palliative care workforce; and disseminate palliative care research findings and facilitate their implementation.

New award aims to raise awareness of assisted living researchMcKnights Senior Living; by Sheryl Zimmerman, PhD; 5/4/26 To highlight research advancing the well-being of those who live and work in assisted living, and to bring it to the awareness of those who can most benefit from the findings, the national Center for Excellence in Assisted Living (CEAL@UNC) recently developed an annual research award. Launched in 2025, the inaugural (2025) CEAL@UNC Research Award honors innovative and rigorous research demonstrating potential to inform assisted living practice or policy.  [Hospice is examined in paper about memory care in assisted living.]

HopeHealth, URI College of Nursing partner on new hospice training program Providence Business News, Providence, RI; by Jacquelyn Voghel; 5/10/26 A partnership between the University of Rhode Island College of Nursing and HopeHealth will provide students with new clinical, training, research and professional opportunities in hospice and palliative care. Under the formal academic-practice program, announced on May 7, HopeHealth will host clinical rotations and advanced practice experiences for URI nursing students. The hospice and palliative care provider will also work with the university to develop new research collaboration opportunities for faculty and doctoral students in the nursing program.

Cambia Health Foundation releases comprehensive evaluation of Sojourns Scholar Leadership ProgramBusiness Wire, Portland, OR; Press Release; 4/30/26 Cambia Health Foundation today released the results of a comprehensive evaluation of its Sojourns Scholar Leadership Program, demonstrating the significant impact of a 10-year, $25 million investment in developing the next generation of palliative care leaders. The evaluation, conducted by Future Work Design, confirms that the program successfully achieved its goals of identifying, cultivating and advancing emerging leaders who are transforming care for people with serious illness, while generating insights and capturing key learnings.