Literature Review

Pain patients aren’t 'drug users': Exposing a dangerous myth American Council on Science and Health; by Cameron English; 7/18/24 Chronic pain patients who take opioids under medical supervision are fundamentally different from recreational users who take drugs to get high. In their bid to destigmatize and legalize drugs, some drug policy reformers have attempted to blur this clear distinction. [Read case study of a hospice patient who was denied pain meds for longterm conditions, and was put on an opioid for which she had informed the hospice that she could not tolerate. Access to talking with her physician was denied. Result: She changed to a different hospice.]

Top ten tips palliative care clinicians should know before their patient undergoes surgery? Journal of Palliative Medicine; by Rachel Hadler, Lara India, Angela M Bader, Orly N Farber, Melanie L Fritz, Fabian M Johnston, Nader N Massarweh, Ravi Pathak, Sandra H Sacks, Margaret L Schwarze, Jocelyn Streid, William E Rosa, Rebecca A Aslakson; 7/15/24 online ahead of print Many seriously ill patients undergo surgical interventions. Palliative care clinicians may not be familiar with the nuances involved in perioperative care, however they can play a valuable role in enabling the delivery of patient-centered and goal-concordant perioperative care. ... This article, written by a team of surgeons and anesthesiologists, many with subspecialty training in palliative medicine and/or ethics, offers ten tips to support palliative care clinicians and facilitate comprehensive discussion as they engage with patients and clinicians considering surgical interventions.

Fallen nurses are honored by ‘guards’ in white uniforms, capes and caps Radio Iowa; by Radio Iowa Contributor; 7/17/24 A hospital in southwestern Iowa is joining a national volunteer organization that pays tribute to nurses who have died or who are in hospice care. Registered nurse Sara Beth Jones spearheaded the effort to launch a local chapter of the Nurses Honor Guard at Cass Health in Atlantic. Jones says part of their uniform is to wear a cape that’s black on one side and red on the other, much like those worn by nurses who tended to soldiers in the 1800s. ... The Nurses Honor Guard is a comprised of current and former nurses. In addition to the funerals of nurses, they attend parades, honor walks and living tributes. Besides the cape, Jones says Honor Guard participants don the traditional white uniform and cap. 

Private nursing services market hits USD 1179 billion by 2032 Market.US; by Trishita Deb; 7/17/24 The Global Private Nursing Services Market, valued at USD 609.7 billion in 2022, is poised for substantial growth. It is projected to reach USD 1179 billion by 2032, expanding at a consistent annual growth rate of 7%. This growth is primarily driven by several critical factors. Firstly, the increasing aging population worldwide necessitates more personalized and attentive healthcare services, which private nursing can provide. Secondly, the rise in chronic diseases, which require long-term care, significantly contributes to the demand for private nursing services. Technological advancements and increased healthcare expenditures also play vital roles in enhancing the service quality and accessibility in this sector​.

Advanced practice providers have an important role in kidney supportive care Healio; by Christine Corbett, DNP, FNP-BC, CNN-NP, FNKF; 7/15/24For more than 2 decades, nephrologists and patients have recognized the key role nephrology advanced practice providers have played in the care of patients with chronic kidney disease. ... With its attention to the psychosocial and spiritual aspects of care in addition to the physical, it is expected that nephrology nurse practitioners would also play a major role in the palliative care for patients with kidney disease. ... As part of the kidney care team, APPs [advanced practice practitionsers] educate patients about kidney failure treatment options, including palliative dialysis and active medical management without dialysis. Also, nurse practitioners have been noted to play a significant role in the palliative care skills of goals-of-care conversations, advance care planning and Portable Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST, or similar term depending on the state) completion.

20 massive physician group deals shaping the industry Becker's ASC Review; by Patsy Newitt; 7/12/24  Facing increasing obstacles to access economies of scale, including rising practice costs and decreasing reimbursement, physician groups are increasingly consolidating.  Here are [several of the] 20 physician group deals [listed that have been] shaping the industry since 2022:

Integrative oncology for patients with lung cancer: A prospective pragmatic controlled trial Lung Cancer; by Eran Ben-Arye, Orit Gressel, Shahar Lifshitz, Nir Peled, Shoshana Keren, Noah Samuels; 6/25/24 Complementary medicine and integrative oncology modalities (IOM) have been included in the clinical practice guidelines of the American College of Chest Physicians in the treatments of patients with lung cancer. The present study examined the impact of a patient-tailored IOM treatment program on quality of life (QoL)-related concerns among patients with non-small and small lung cancer undergoing active oncology treatment. ... High adherence to a 6-week IOM program within supportive/palliative care for patients with lung cancer was found to alleviate pain and emotional concerns, improving overall QoL. Further research is needed to confirm the findings in real-life IOM practice for patients with lung cancer.

A journey shared: Navigating cancer as a caretaker, nurse, and patient Oncology Nursing News; by Charlotte Goor, BSN, RN, OCN; 7/9/24 An oncology nurse's experience with mother's cancer and her own BRCA2 diagnosis shapes her approach to patient care. “She had a tumor the size of a cantaloupe,” the surgeon said. I felt like the world had caved in on me and I was suffocating in its core. I was 22 years old when my mother developed a mysterious “bulge” in her lower abdomen—stage 4 ovarian cancer, as it turned out. As a bonus, we learned that both she and I carried the BRCA2 gene mutation, which meant that I was at an increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer as well." The ensuing journey from caregiver to nurse to patient has profoundly shaped my nursing practice by providing unique insights and deepening my empathy. ...

Caregiver charged with abusing dementia patient The Freeman, Waukesha County, WI; by Freeman Staff; 7/9/24 A West Allis woman has been charged after she allegedly struck a dementia patient in her care and put a pillow over the woman’s face out of frustration. Erica Junger, 22, was charged Monday in Waukesha County Circuit Court with a count of intentionally abusing a patient, and faces up to six years in prison if convicted. She made an initial appearance in court Monday, where she was released on a $2,500 signature bond and ordered by Court Commissioner David Herring not to work in any job where she is responsible for the health care and safety of others. ... She said she "snapped" and did things she wasn’t supposed to do, but didn’t mean anything by it. ... The complaint did not identify the facility where the incident took place. But it did identify Junger as an employee of Agrace Hospice, which contracts with the facility.

Provider of in-home imaging services and 24/7 radiologist access raises $200M Radiology Business; by Marty Stempniak; 7/9/24 HarmonyCares, a provider of in-home X-ray services that spans 15 states, has raised $200 million in new capital, leaders announced Monday. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, the company is focused on physician-led care for vulnerable patients who cannot travel to a traditional healthcare facility. HarmonyCare Diagnostics brings the latest digital X-ray technology to patients’ homes or long-term care facilities, offering rapid results with board certified radiologists “available 24/7.”

Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation receives $1.2 million impact grant Cision PR Newswire; by Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation; 7/8/24The Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation (HPNF) is thrilled to announce that it has been awarded a transformative $1.2 million impact grant from the Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center (HPCC). The Sandra Lee Schafer Impact Grant, given in memory of the late Sandra Lee Schafer, MN, RN, AOCN®, will empower HPNF to create a legacy of sustainable giving, which will impact the hospice and palliative care community for years to come. "We are deeply honored and grateful to receive this impact grant from HPCC, given in tribute of Sandy," said Virginia (Ginger) Marshall, MSN, ACNP-BC, ACHPN®, FPCN, chief executive officer of HPNF. ... Sandra was an unwavering advocate of specialty nursing certification. Following a stellar nursing career, Sandra served as the director of credentialing of the Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center from 2004 until her sudden passing in 2018.

How rituals support nursing teams American Nurse Journal - American Nurses Association; by Heather Fitzgerald, DBe, MS, RN; 7/2/24Question: I’m a clinical manager for a pediatric critical care unit. We’ve recently had a significant increase in end-of-life care. I’m proud of our nurses and the skillful, compassionate support they provide to patients and families during these tragic events. In an emotional support debrief, nurses expressed a desire for more opportunities to pause and reflect on meaning and purpose in their challenging work. How do I regularly schedule time to support nurses in ways they value while also adhering to our organization’s budget and productivity expectations? Answer: ... creating a supportive sense of community and connection need not violate your commitment to budget management. You can enact opportunities to orient to meaning and purpose, to shared identity and belonging, and to unit and organizational mission through small rituals that deliver benefits similar to your debriefing forum. Rituals ... have deep, prehistoric roots, which indicate that humans have long sought connection and meaning-making in moments of joy, grief, and uncertainty. Nurses participate in patient-centered rituals in various settings. For example, organ donor honor walks, the ringing of a bell to mark a cancer treatment milestone, discharge celebrations after a long hospitalization, and celebrations of life and of birth. The nursing profession also should pay more attention to the importance of nursing-centered rituals.Editor's Notes: Nurse burnout is a root cause for both high turnover and increased unionization/strikes among nurses, especially nurses in their first year of practice. What nursing-centered ritual(s) might bring meaning and renewal to your nurses? Ask. Create, pilot, and evaluate. Engage them in the process.  

Clinician- and patient-directed communication strategies for patients with cancer at high mortality risk JAMA Network Open - Oncology; by Samuel U. Takvorian, MD, MSHP; Peter Gabriel, MD, MSE; E. Paul Wileyto, PhD; Daniel Blumenthal, BA; Sharon Tejada, MS; Alicia B. W. Clifton, MDP; David A. Asch, MD, MBA; Alison M. Buttenheim, PhD, MBA; Katharine A. Rendle, PhD, MSW, MPH; Rachel C. Shelton, ScD, MPH; Krisda H. Chaiyachati, MD, MPH, MSHP; Oluwadamilola M. Fayanju, MD, MA, MPHS; Susan Ware, BS; Lynn M. Schuchter, MD; Pallavi Kumar, MD, MPH; Tasnim Salam, MBE, MPH; Adina Lieberman, MPH; Daniel Ragusano, MPH; Anna-Marika Bauer, MRA; Callie A. Scott, MSc; Lawrence N. Shulman, MD; Robert Schnoll, PhD; Rinad S. Beidas, PhD; Justin E. Bekelman, MD; Ravi B. Parikh, MD, MPP; 7/1/24 Serious illness conversations (SICs) that elicit patients’ values, goals, and care preferences reduce anxiety and depression and improve quality of life, but occur infrequently for patients with cancer. Behavioral economic implementation strategies (nudges) directed at clinicians and/or patients may increase SIC completion. ... In this cluster randomized trial, nudges combining clinician peer comparisons with patient priming questionnaires were associated with a marginal increase in documented SICs compared with an active control. Combining clinician- and patient-directed nudges may help to promote SICs in routine cancer care.