Literature Review

Retirement? Not for this 80-year-old oncology nurse in Naples USA Today / The Florida Times-Union / Pressreader, Fort Myers, FL; by Liz Freeman; 12/12/25Carolyn Paget never imagined NCH Baker Hospital would throw her a birthday party for turning 80. Or that she would still be logging at least 8,000 steps during a 12-hour shift as a registered nurse in the oncology unit where she has worked for more than two decades. ... "She actually helps patients make the decision when hospice is the way to go. Patients respect her." ... According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, ...the share of workers 75 and older is expected to grow from 9% in 2020 to nearly 12% by 2030.

Hospice chaplain gets prison for sexual assault at facility in Sacramento County The Sacramento Bee, Sacramento, CA; by Rosalio Ahumada; 12/8/25A judge on Thursday [12/4] sentenced a man who worked as a hospice chaplain last year when he sexually assaulted a woman living in an elder care facility in Sacramento County.  ... [The chaplain] worked for a company that was contracted by care facilities, and the elderly woman was sexually assaulted within a week before the arrest. ... The District Attorney's Office did not include the name of the company or the care facility in the news release.

Social worker dies from injuries suffered in San Francisco hospital stabbing attack: Police ABC News; by Bill Hutchinson; 12/7/25 A social worker, described by colleagues as "remarkable" and "compassionate," has died from stab wounds she suffered when a patient armed with a steak knife allegedly attacked her inside a San Francisco hospital, according to authorities. The victim, whose name has not been released, was pronounced dead on Saturday, two days after she was stabbed repeatedly inside Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, according to the San Francisco Sheriff's Office. The victim was described by the sheriff's office as a 51-year-old University of California, San Francisco, social worker. 

Women are telling the truth in their out-of-office messages. It’s devastating Marie Claire, New York, NY; 11/25/25 A national campaign is delivering a radically honest wake-up call about childcare, burnout, and what it means to live in a country without paid leave. ... This year, working women across the U.S. hit a breaking point. More than 450,000 have left the workforce since January—one of the sharpest declines in recent history, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And, overwhelmingly, the women most likely to walk away are mothers with young children. ... Which is why today, some of them are finally saying so out loud. Not in op-eds or protests, but in their out-of-office replies.

Essentia Health, Solvay staff reach contract deal Northern News Now, Duluth, MN; by Northern News Now staff; 10/30/25 Another agreement has been reached between Essentia and the Minnesota Nurses Association. On Wednesday [10/29], healthcare workers at the Solvay Hospice House finalized their first contract. As we reported, hundreds of MNA union members walked off the job in July. During the strike, care at the Solvay Hospice House was stopped. Solvay leaders made the decision to pause care saying the facility relies on Essentia Health’s nursing staff. Care started again at the end of July. On Wednesday [10/29], Essentia announced that a tentative three-year agreement has been reached with the Solvay team.

More than 45,000 Kaiser Permanente workers strike in 4 states Modern Healthcare; by Hayley DeSilva; 10/14/25 An estimated 46,000 Kaiser Permanente staff members began a five-day strike Tuesday across multiple states over staffing, pay and benefit concerns. Employees on strike include registered nurses, lab professionals, pharmacists and other skilled healthcare workers from 23 different unions, a spokesperson for Kaiser Permanente said. The unions are part of the Alliance of Health Care Unions, which represents an estimated 62,000 Kaiser employees. ... "[They] are demanding significantly higher increases than our 21.5% offer,“ the Kaiser spokesperson said.

Behavioral scientist breaks down what makes a great leader CBS Mornings / YouTube; interview with Jon Levy; 10/6/25 Behavioral scientist and New York Times bestselling author Jon Levy spent the last 15 years meeting with different types of leaders. In his new book, "Team Intelligence: How Brilliant Leaders Unlock Collective Genius," he talks about the preconceived notions of leadership.

Sought-after physician specialty roles are taking longer to fill Modern Healthcare; by Tim Broderick; 9/24/25 The time it took to fill open positions for the most sought-after physician specialties increased to almost five months in 2024, according to new research. The nonprofit Association for Advancing Physician and Provider Recruitment, with research firm Industry Insights, examined 2024 data from more than 15,000 searches of the association’s site, 61% of which were related to physician searches. ... The analysis found the estimated median days to fill the selected jobs increased by 11.5%, to 145 days in 2024 from 130 days in 2023. Oncology positions were the hardest to fill, at an estimated median of 332 days. Cardiology positions followed with an estimated median of 248 days to fill. [Access to the full article might be limited per a paywall.] Editor's Note: Oncology and cardiology are now the two hardest physician specialties to fill. This matters for hospice care because, according to NHPCO’s Facts and Figures 2024, cancer and circulatory diseases join Alzheimer’s and other nervous system disorders as the top three hospice diagnoses—together representing nearly three-fourths of all admissions. Delays in recruiting oncologists and cardiologists risk postponing timely palliative and hospice referrals. Newly hired specialists in these fields also need focused training—and intentional relationship-building with hospice teams—to ensure patients and families receive seamless, compassionate care.

Home health industry welcomes CMS’ repeal of nursing home staffing mandate Home Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 9/20/25 Earlier this month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) drafted a rule that would repeal the federal staffing mandate for nursing homes – a move that would send ripple effects through the home health industry. The rule was controversial among nursing home operators, but it also received pushback from home health providers who were concerned that the mandate would lead to further staffing scarcity. “The repeal is positive for home health agencies,” Katy Barnett, director of home care and hospice operations and policy at LeadingAge, told HHCN in an email. 

Your leadership sets the emotional tone for your team. ~ Allison Dunn

Winning at work and home with Randy Gravitt Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); host Chris Comeaux with Randy Gravitt; 9/10/25 Join us in this insightful episode of "The Anatomy of Leadership" as we explore the challenge of winning at work and family life with Randy Gravitt, CEO of Lead Every Day. When was the last time you examined the connection between your leadership at work and your life at home?  In this eye-opening conversation, Randy Gravitt, CEO (Chief Encouragement Officer) of Lead Every Day, reveals that our greatest superpower isn't talent or expertise—it's our ability to choose.

Understanding trauma in the context of direct care work in nursing homesJournal of Applied Gerontology; by Alfred Boakye, Jennifer Craft Morgan, Candace L. Kemp, Antonius D. Skipper; 8/25Direct care workers (DCWs) experience job quality challenges such as heavy workload, low pay, and few benefits. Layered risks such as the COVID-19 pandemic and systemic racism have impacted DCWs, made them more vulnerable, and increased turnover and the precarity of the long-term care system and residents’ care. Findings suggest that DCWs are often crippled with challenges stemming from the impact of COVID-19, work-related factors, and personal factors. Understanding the intersection of trauma provides a detailed contextual description of care work, which is important for developing practical coping strategies, either at the personal or organizational levels, and developing more refined trauma-informed initiatives to build resilience and support DCWs.

New Mexico nurse assistant charged with hospice fraud, misconduct Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 8/29/25 A federal grand jury in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, has indicted a certified nurse assistant for their alleged involvement in a hospice fraud scheme. Potential sentencing includes more than two decades of imprisonment. April Guadalupe Hernandez, 27, was an employee of Luna Del Valle Hospice, LilyCare of New Mexico and Hospice De La Luz. She allegedly assumed the identities of hospice nurses and illegally provided care to patients, according to a statement the New Mexico Department of Justice (NMDOJ) released on Wednesday. Hernandez is charged with 19 counts of misconduct including allegations of identity theft, elder abuse, nursing without a license and Medicaid fraud, among other charges.