Literature Review

10 smart questions to ask before hiring an IT services company DesignRush; by Sergio Oliveira; 10/28/25 A first-hand guide for CEOs on how to vet IT vendors, avoid scope traps, and ensure accountability beyond the pitch. ... Every IT partner looks capable during a pitch — that’s their job. The challenge is separating an agency's confidence from day-to-day reality. I’ve learned that asking the right questions early is the only way to find out how potential agencies will handle change, protect uptime, and keep you in control of your own data. 

Three tried-and-true strategies AHCA Gold Quality Award winners use to land and keep staff McKnights Long-Term Care News, Las Vegas, NV; by Kimberly Marselas; 10/22/25 Leaders of three of the nation’s best-performing nursing homes shared ... outside-the-box recruitment and retention strategies that have made robust staffing the linchpin of their respective quality-improvement journeys. ... Here, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News shares a few of the role model practices Peters and her two 2025 Gold National Quality Award peers rely on to create staff loyalty, even in highly competitive markets.

Oasis Hospice & Palliative Care unveils scholarship program for health care, social work studentsHospice News; by Jim Parker; 10/14/25 Chicago-based Oasis Hospice & Palliative Care has launched a new initiative designed to bolster its workforce. The company’s charitable arm, the Oasis Foundation, is now offering the Pathway to Purpose Scholarship, which includes $2,500 in tuition dollars for students whose lives have been shaped by hospice or palliative care. New clinicians and other interdisciplinary group members who have had past, personal experience with hospice and palliative care can enrich hospice teams, according to Toso Mohammed Haruna, content strategist for Oasis Hospice & Palliative Care. 

Stories from an accidental Hospice Nurse by Shawn Brast, MSN, RN, CHPN ehospice; by Shawn Brast, Clinical Education Manager at Gilchrist Hospice in Baltimore; 10/9/25 ...  The strangest thing happened: after 30+ years in healthcare, I found my calling as a hospice nurse. Routinely, I am granted special access to some of the most intimate moments in patients’ and families’ lives. With my short experience as a hospice nurse, I have come across some awe-inspiring moments that have provided life lessons that must be shared for the greater good. ... [Shawn describes several hospice stories with his insights.] These types of “Aha!” moments continued since these three experiences, but it was these three experiences that set my direction to answer my calling. In doing so, I am becoming a better person, clinician, educator, researcher, student, husband and father.

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.

The Exec: Hamilton Medical Center CMO on incremental successes in change management HealthLeaders; by Christopher Cheney; 10/13/25 In healthcare, attempts to make changes quickly at a grand scale are often unsuccessful, this CMO says. The primary element of success in change management is to pursue a strategy that emphasizes small and incremental changes, according to [Ricard Perez] the new CMO of Hamilton Medical Center in Dalton, Georgia. ... If you are going to be affecting people's daily work lives, your best bet for success is to make sure that those people have some representation at the table," Perez says. "Once you have stakeholders at the table, they can become advocates and catalysts for change because they will have an intricate understanding of why change needs to happen."

Gerontological nursing essentials for BSN students: Meeting aging population needs Nevada State | RN to BSN; 10/9/25 An aging population is transforming healthcare delivery, and nurses are increasingly called to address the complex needs of older adults. For students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), learning the essentials of gerontological nursing provides the foundation to deliver compassionate, effective care. This specialty emphasizes not only clinical expertise but also communication, cultural competence, and advocacy for patient dignity. Explore what defines this field, the role of an adult gerontology nurse practitioner, and the pathways available to see how they can shape the future of elder care. Editor's Note: How is your organization supporting career growth for all staff members? While this article focuses on the RN-to-BSN pathway with a gerontological nursing emphasis, consider expanding professional development opportunities across your entire workforce—clinical and non-clinical alike. For example: 

Good Samaritan announces transition of hospice services Good Samaritan, Vincennes, IN; Press Release by Good Samaritan; 10/3/25 Good Samaritan [in Vincennes, Indiana] has announced the difficult decision to close its hospice program effective December 31, 2025. The decision, made by the hospital’s Executive Team and Board of Governors, follows a careful evaluation of health care trends and reflects Good Samaritan’s commitment to responsible stewardship and long-term sustainability. “Since its beginning, our hospice team has provided extraordinary, compassionate care to patients and families across our region,” said Rob McLin, CEO of Good Samaritan. “We hold deep respect for that legacy and are committed to supporting our patients, families, and hospice team throughout this transition.”

'I spent 36 years holding dying patients' hands' BBC News, Ireland; by Grace Shaw; 10/5/25 For hospice nurse Trish Carling, holding a dying patient's hand through the dark hours of the night was a privilege to share. The 66-year-old has just retired after 36 years working in palliative care at St Michael's Hospice in Harrogate. Her first shift was in November 1989, and she has worked almost every Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve since. Despite the demands of the job, she originally chose the pathway because it worked around family life when her children were young. "At first I found the night shifts practical - they then became my preferred hours," she said. ... [Continue reading]Editor's Note: In what ways do you honor your longtime employees? How do you tell their stories of passionate compassion? Of loyalty to your core mission through changing times and operational practices? So many of these valued employees began in a pre-digital era. Imagine: before cell phones, the internet, websites, electronic employee files, EMR systems, and so much more. Crucial employee data can get lost especially during organizational name changes, Mergers & Acquistions, or a short-term leave of absence. Let this article be a catalyst for you to research and honor your employees with long tenures. Without their faithful foundations, your work today would not be the same.

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.

Chico nurses at Enloe Health to hold rally to protest closure of home health and hospice units National Nurses United; Press Release by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United; 10/1/25 ... Nurses are calling on the hospital to protect the health of some of Chico’s most vulnerable patients and maintain the essential services and end-of-life care provided by these units.  “For years, Enloe hospice stood alone in providing care for underserved Medi-Cal patients and for our youngest, most fragile patients—children at the end of life,” said Ruby Khoury, registered nurse in the hospice unit. “A vital, compassionate service is being taken away, and a hospital that once led with dignity and inclusivity in hospice care now faces a painful void. We nurses demand that the home health and hospice units remain open. Otherwise, the most vulnerable will suffer first: children, Medi-Cal patients, families without resources.”

C-suites invest in nurse-led clinical research Becker's Clinical Leadership; by Mariah Taylor; 9/29/25 Nationwide, health systems are increasingly turning to nurse scientists to close evidence gaps, answer pressing clinical questions and translate bedside observations into measurable patient outcomes. ... “Nurses ask the best questions; they are closest to patients and see gaps in care firsthand,” Linda Chlan, PhD, RN, associate dean for nursing research at Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic, told Becker’s. “But to move from ‘I think this works better’ to real evidence, you need data, and that comes from rigorous scientific inquiry.” This is where nurse scientists fill the gap between curiosity and evidence-based changes in protocols and practices. Nurse scientists help bedside staff build their studies, mentor them through the process, and help them turn data into evidence-based practice and demonstrate return on investment.

Long COVID hitting doctors and nurses hard Medscape; by David Brzostowkicki; 9/3/25 Jeffrey Siegelman, MD, contracted COVID-19 in August 2020 and, 3 months later, published a paper online in JAMA about his experiences. Today, he’s still dealing with the symptoms, as one of many healthcare providers who have long COVID. He said his experience highlights the impact of long COVID on hundreds of thousands of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers, by some estimates, who have been on the frontlines fighting the pandemic from the beginning. “I reflect on that paper from JAMA, and I thought that 3 months was a long time,” said Siegelman, associate professor of emergency medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine and a practicing emergency room doctor in Atlanta. “And here I am, 5 years later, and I still have symptoms. I think that’s the case for a lot of patients with long COVID, that it just keeps getting longer.”