Literature Review

State of the nursing workforce: 14 trends to know Becker's Clinical Leadership; by Mariah Taylor; 5/14/25 In 2025, the nursing workforce has stabilized compared to prepandemic numbers and is expected to grow. However, there are still several nursing challenges systems are facing. Here are 14 trends to know about the nursing workforce in 2025:

Blessing hands, healing hearts: CHP honors nurses with special ceremony Hometown Stations - ABC, FOX, NBC, CBS, Delphos, OH (WLIO); by Todd Cummins; 5/15/25 A local nonprofit agency is recognizing the dedication of its staff with a special blessing ceremony. In honor of National Nurses Week, the staff of CHP Home Care and Hospice participated in a “blessing of the hands” — a centuries-old tradition meant to honor the vital role nurses play in healing and compassion.  The idea came from Colleen Quickery, the administrator of Hearth & Home in Van Wert. Chaplain Steve Haddix said he has performed about 240 blessings for staff across Paulding and Van Wert counties, as well as the Lima and Delphos offices. This marks the first year CHP has offered the ceremony, and it has had a powerful impact on many who received it.Editor's note: Reminder that CNA Week is June 12-18, 2025.

5 evidence-based solutions to solve the leadership burnout crisis Inc.; by Peter Economy; 5/10/25 Leader burnout isn’t just another HR buzzword. It’s the reality many leaders are living right now. According to a recent report by talent solutions firm LHH, a staggering 56 percent of leaders reported experiencing burnout in 2024—up from 52 percent the previous year—with Gen-X and Millennial leaders affected most. I’ve spent years on both sides of this equation ... What I’ve learned is that sustainable leadership isn’t about superhuman resilience. It’s about working smarter. Here are five approaches that actually work for leaders in any kind of organization, anywhere.

'Patients just get violent' | Louisville healthcare workers describe attacks on the job, calling it a crisis ABC WHAS-11, Louisville, KY; by Shay McAlister, Joseph Garcia, Phillip Murrell, and MIchelle Zelli Right now Louisville’s nursing community is facing a crisis, saying they are under attack while on the job.  Since March, police have been called to three different Louisville hospitals after a nurse was assaulted. But those are only the attacks that are reported, several nurses told WHAS11 they face dangerous situations daily without the necessary support. ... The three incidents of violence against nurses sit on a map of hundreds of crimes reported at or near Louisville hospitals and nearby parking garages over the last year. According to LMPD’s crime data portal, 17 assaults were reported at Norton Hospital, 10 at Jewish Hospital, and 28 at the UofL Hospital parking garage over the last 12 months. ... “Many healthcare professionals that are harmed don't report it, and they don't report it because they don't think anybody will listen. And then there are others who think that it's part of the job. It is not part of the job,” CEO of the Kentucky Nurses Association Delanor Manson said. In 2023, Manson worked with lawmakers to formalize language requiring healthcare facilities to track incidents of violence and implement violence prevention strategies. It's a crisis for the career field. 

The Joint Commission cuts 55 administrative employees Modern Healthcare; by Hayley Desilva; 5/6/25The Joint Commission said Tuesday it laid off 55 administrative employees last week as the organization navigates structural changes to improve its operational efficiency. All affected employees worked at the organization’s central office in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. The Joint Commission declined to say whether those employees could apply for other roles or if additional cuts are planned. ... The organization also declined to comment on the status of any funding from the federal government. In its most recent federal tax filing, for 2023, it reported more than $207 million in total revenue, a $1.4 million decrease from 2022.

Good Samaritan: Kimberly Romey brings warmth and peace to Benefis Peace Hospice NBC, Billings, MT; by Joee Taylor; 4/28/25 At Benefis Peace Hospice, Kimberly Romey is more than just a housekeeper. She is a source of comfort and care for patients and their families. Romey, who is responsible for maintaining cleanliness throughout the hospice, is known for her personal connections with patients. "My job is to take care of this place. I clean the whole building, bathrooms, patient rooms. I sit and I visit with patients. If there's something that's not health care wise that I can get them, I'll get them," Romey stated. Her dedication goes beyond her job description. "It's good to be here for people that, you know, this is their last stay, and to make them comfortable and to make them happy and to do things for them; it's very rewarding," she said. Latoya Reovan, the director of Benefis Peace Hospice, witnesses Romey's commitment daily.Editor's note: Thank you, Kimberly, Latoya, and NBC of Billings for this empowering story, with powerful teachable moments. Calling all executive leaders: Do you know the housekeepers in your hospice inpatient facilities? At a minimum, do you intentionally greet and thank them with warmth and authenticity? What hospice-oriented culture do you foster? Read more of Kimberly Romey's descriptions about her role, "Because to me, this isn't just my job. I love being here." 

UVM Health Network employees plant thousands of trees VB VermontBiz, South Burlington, VT; by Tim; 4/25/25 ... Each year to celebrate Earth Day, health system employees in Vermont have planted trees at their homes and in their communities to support and celebrate a healthy and vibrant environment. ... This year, that effort grew from employees at two partner hospitals -- University of Vermont Medical Center and UVM Health Network - Porter Medical Center -- to include nearly every organization in the health system:  ...  Home Health and Hospice, ... “We were thrilled to take part,” said Kristin Walsh, RN, CHWC, an employee health nurse at Home Health and Hospice and the organizer of their local effort, which distributed 150 trees and shrubs to employees. “We work tirelessly to take care of others, even in the toughest of circumstances. That’s why we wanted to share local saplings from the Intervale with employees. ..." 

By the Bay forges educational partnerships to grow hospice, home-based care workforce Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 4/23/25 By the Bay Health has launched a new career program that aims to build up the next generation of home-based health care professionals amid widespread workforce shortages. The California-based health system unveiled its educational initiative, Pathways to Care Careers, in December 2024 as part of its 50th anniversary commemoration. The program is a collaboration with local schools and community organizations. By the Bay Health recently began a $1 million fundraising campaign to support the expansion of the career initiative. A main goal is to reach an increasingly diverse range of health care workers further upstream in their educational journeys, said Robertina Szolarova, chief administrative officer at By the Bay Health and program lead for its Pathways to Care Careers initiative.

Legacy even in defeat? Nursing home experts anxious about next moves on staffing efforts McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Kimberly Marselas; 4/21/25 Two weeks after a judge struck down federal staffing standards for all US nursing homes, questions about the rule’s future continue to swirl within the industry. Will the government appeal the District Court’s ruling in Texas and continue to fight for regulations that would force nursing homes to create more than 100,000 new jobs in coming years? How will a judge hearing a similar challenge in Iowa interpret similar arguments, and what happens if the rulings conflict with one another? ... Regardless of whether the rule goes away, industry insiders have one clear expectation: Its legacy will continue to chafe nursing home leaders, who will still face intense pressure to recruit quality staff and improve patient care.

Attorneys general challenge Trump’s deportations, citing impact on home health workforce McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 4/16/25 Nineteen state attorneys general filed an amicus brief Monday challenging President Donald Trump’s deportation policies. Among their arguments, they contended that deportations would have an outsized, negative impact on the home health industry’s ability to deliver care. “From a public health perspective, [states] depend on noncitizen healthcare workers who, like other immigrants, are forced to live in a climate of fear — nationwide over 1 million immigrants work in healt hcare, including 40% of home health aides and 18% of nursing home staff,” the brief said. The brief aims to block the administration’s so-called “ideological deportation policy,” established by executive orders 14161 and 14188. These orders intimidate workers, impair healthcare delivery and harm states’ economies, the attorneys general argued. 

NABIP responds to HHS Proposed Rule on Marketplace Integrity National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals; by Kelly Lousedes; 4/14/25 The National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals (NABIP) submitted formal comments to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed rule, CMS-9884-P: Marketplace Integrity and Affordability. While NABIP strongly supports efforts to enhance program integrity, it strongly objects to elements that could lead to unfair treatment of licensed health insurance professionals. ...

Health systems spend millions to reduce workplace violence Modern Healthcare; by Caroline Hudson; 4/14/25 Health systems are spending millions of dollars ramping up security measures at their facilities to protect patients and staff. Many systems are hiring more officers, implementing weapons detection screenings and updating communication protocols. Executives said these efforts are a response to an uptick in workplace violence over the past several years, ranging from assaults on staff members to sexually aggressive comments and shootings. ... [A] 2022 report from the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing said workplace violence costs the U.S. approximately $151 billion per year, with most incidents occurring in healthcare and social services.