Literature Review

‘Family’s Voice Diary’ improved support for caregivers of patients at the end of life Oncology Nurse; by Ryner Lai; 7/1/25 The authors of this study sought to understand the challenges that caregivers face when a patient is approaching end of life. For this study, they worked with bereaved relatives, members of the public, healthcare professionals, and policymakers to develop the Family’s Voice Diary (FVD), an initiative that allowed participants to freely express their thoughts regarding end-of-life care and the role of caregivers. ... These interviews illuminated some of the challenges that were faced when providing end-of-life care. For example, families expressed a lack of knowledge regarding what “normal” dying looks like and they wanted more support from healthcare staff, but were reluctant to ask or didn’t know how to approach the subject. Healthcare professionals themselves appeared to be reluctant to discuss matters associated with death. 

How AI is redefining the nurse’s day Becker's Health IT; by Naomi Diaz; 7/3/25 As generative AI continues to make its way into healthcare, chief nursing informatics officers say the technology’s influence is expanding beyond documentation and reshaping the way nurses work. [Examples described include the following:]

Palliative care knowledge, attitudes, and self-competence of nurses working in hospital settingsJournal of Palliative Care; Mona Ibrahim Hebeshy, PhD, RN; Darcy Copeland, PhD, RN; 6/25With the growing need to integrate palliative care into healthcare systems, nurses in hospital settings often provide care for patients with life-limiting conditions, many of whom lack formal education in palliative care. [Conclusions:] Nurses generally feel competent; however, they often lack confidence in addressing patients’ social and spiritual needs. They experienced unease when discussing death and exhibited paternalistic attitudes. Significant differences were found in educational background, nursing experience, personal caregiving experience, and practice setting. Positive correlations exist between attitudes, knowledge, and self-competence, indicating that greater knowledge and competence were associated with better attitudes toward end-of-life care.

HOPE Tool Anxiety, Part II: From planning to practice Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast by Melissa Calkins; 6/30/25The countdown has begun. With October 1 on the horizon, hospice teams across the country are deep into training and testing—but preparation alone won’t guarantee success. The shift to HOPE isn’t just operational; it’s cultural. And real readiness goes far beyond timelines and task completion. It demands that every clinician, across every shift and care setting, understands what’s changing and feels confident in how to respond. This is the critical moment when planning must translate into practice—because once HOPE is live, the margin for error disappears.

Nursing at the speed of trustMinority Nurse; by Keith Carlson; 6/26/25Seeking a career in nursing could be seen as an exercise in trust. We nurses willingly endure a grueling educational experience, place ourselves in the hands of nursing professors and preceptors, and otherwise trust that the blood, sweat, tears, and expense of pursuing our goal is worthwhile. In essence, we move at the speed of trust as we enter the nursing universe.

Sacred moment experiences among internal medicine physiciansJAMA Network Open; Jessica Ameling, MPH; Nathan Houchens, MD; M. Todd Greene, PhD, MPH; David Ratz, MS; Martha Quinn, MPH; Latoya Kuhn, MPH; Sanjay Saint, MD, MPH; 5/25Some have described sacred moments as sudden intimacies or moments of deep memorable connection with another person. The health care setting is replete with opportunities for the types of human connections that lead to sacred moments, such as times of crises or grief, or conversely, times of great happiness. These moments leave participants with a sense of joy, peace, and empathy for the others involved. In this survey study of 629 physicians, 68% reported experiencing a sacred moment with a patient, and physicians who considered themselves very spiritual or possessing a strong sense of purpose in life or work had increased odds of experiencing a sacred moment. Both experiencing sacred moments often and discussing them with colleagues were associated with less burnout [and] improve[d] physician well-being.

From burnout to belonging: Creating space for grief in clinical education American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Journals Blog; by Rachita Gupta; 6/16/25 ... While significant progress has been made in addressing burnout and emotional distress in medicine, and in incorporating these topics into medical education, many clinicians remain hesitant and uncertain about how to address grief and distress from patient care in day-to-day clinical practice. This uncertainty exists both in terms of their own experiences and, even more so, in supporting trainees. A lack of emotional processing in these difficult situations can accelerate burnout and further disconnect clinicians from the humanism and vulnerability that are intrinsic to the privilege of practicing medicine. ... The recently published Hospital Pediatrics article by Bloomhardt et al, “Good Grief? Introducing the TEARS Framework for Educator to Support Learners Experiencing Grief,” (10.1542/hpeds.2024-008096) addresses the hesitancy many clinicians experience when assessing learners’ emotional processing during or after distressing patient cases by introducing the TEARS framework. ...Editor's Note: See a related post in today's newsletter, "“Her toes fell off into my hand”: 50 moments that changed healthcare workers forever."

Dr. Anne Merriman obituary: doctor known as ‘mother of palliative care in Africa’ The Times, London, England; 6/18/25 Dr. Anne Merriman revolutionised palliative and end-of-life care in Africa after developing a cheap form of oral morphine with a Singapore hospital pharmacist. ... Universally known as “Dr. Anne”, she said: “It’s easier than baking a cake.” She developed the pain-controlling recipe after seeing terminally ill patients discharged from hospital because “nothing more could be done for them”. Many died at home in severe and prolonged pain. “A wild, undisciplined schoolgirl” who became a nun and a doctor, Merriman founded the pioneering Hospice Africa Uganda (HAU) in 1993 at the age of 57. Palliative care was largely unknown in Africa when she started her work in Uganda. HAU has treated more than 35,000 patients and trained more than 10,000 healthcare professionals from 37 African countries in the so-called Merriman model. ... Anne Merriman, doctor, was born on May 13, 1935. She died from respiratory failure on May 18, 2025, aged 90.

‘Because I Knew You’: OHSU pediatric physician’s memoir reveals how treating kids helped him healOregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), Portland, OR; by Geoff Norcross, with Robert Macauley; 6/10/25 About 200 pages into Robert Macauley’s memoir, he takes up the big question of why God — if there is one — allows kids to suffer and die. “The best answer I’ve come up with — with three graduate degrees in theology from places like Oxford and Yale, followed by three decades as a physician-priest—is…” The next two pages are blank. This is what he writes next. “In other words, I don’t know. I don’t know why God lets such terrible things happen, which even someone as tragically flawed as me would make absolutely sure to prevent, given a pinch of omnipotence and a nanosecond to act.” Macauley deals with dying kids for a living. He’s a pediatrician at OHSU, and one of the few in the country certified in hospice and palliative care. He’s also an ordained Episcopal priest. His new memoir is called “Because I Knew You: How Some Remarkable Sick Kids Healed A Doctor’s Soul.” He spoke with OPB’s “All Things Considered” host Geoff Norcross. 

Cincinnati teen in hospice care after battling unknown illness Inside Edition and YouTube; 6/14/25 Dr. Tasha Faruqui's daughter Soraya, is battling an illness doctors haven't been able to diagnose. Soraya's symptoms began shortly after being born, and after years of testing and difficulties, she is now in hospice care. The 13-year-old and her family share their journey on social media, and Tasha has written a book to educate others about anticipatory grief. "I do feel like we can do something with this pain," she told Inside Edition Digital's Andrea Swindall.

Serious illness has mental health implications — palliative care can help Becker's Behavioral Health; by Dr. Simeon Kwan and Dr. Rowland Pearsall; 6/12/25 ... As health plans and providers strive to deliver whole-person, value-based care, we must recognize that treating the body is only part of the equation. Mental and emotional well-being are critical dimensions of serious illness, and they demand more focused attention. Fortunately, we have a powerful but often underutilized ally: palliative care. ... According to multiple studies, up to 40% of patients with advanced cancer experience clinical depression. Anxiety and spiritual distress are also common, particularly when facing the unknown or confronting the loss of autonomy. For those managing progressive illnesses over time, mental health concerns can erode treatment adherence, accelerate physical decline, and strain family caregivers.

A special tribute given to a special nurse Scottsdale Progress, Scottsdale, AZ; by Lin Sue Flood; 6/7/25 One of the original founders of Hospice of the Valley back in 1977 recently received an extraordinary visit from the Arizona Nurse Honor Guard, an organization that honors fellow nurses who have dedicated their lives to the profession. “I am just flattered and overwhelmed,” said Mary Audrey Mellor, who turns 92 in July. “Hospice of the Valley has always had my heart because it’s so compassionate and caring and loving.” Friends and family gathered together at her home at Vi at Silverstone in Scottsdale as she received a Florence Nightingale coin symbolizing comfort, gentleness, courage and an unwavering devotion to duty. Nurse Honor Guard volunteer Cindy Loucel then presented her with a second gift. “We have a quilt to cover you with our love and gratitude and to recognize all those patients you covered in kindness,” she said. “May it bring you comfort, as you gave so many others comfort.”