This Hospice Nurse Is On Call For 63 Hours Straight

From emergency medication requests to supporting families after a loved one's death, Sarah Balcom helps ensure hospice patients receive compassionate care around the clock.

Welcome to Nurse Ascent, a twice-weekly newsletter created by nurses for nurses. This week, hospice nurse Sarah Balcom shares what it's like to work a 63-hour on-call weekend, supporting patients and families through some of life's most difficult moments. We also look at a sharp rise in serious nursing citations, how a nurse-developed onboarding tool saved a Maryland health system $3.8 million, and a new $275 million initiative offering financial incentives to nurses working in rural nursing homes. Plus, explore nursing jobs tailored to your location.

But first....

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Registered Nurse - PACU, Luke Staffing

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Hot Springs, SD

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Nurse Spotlight: Sarah Balcom RN, BSN

From our spotlight archives: Every Friday at 5 p.m., Sarah Balcom begins a 63-hour on-call shift as a hospice nurse. From late-night medication requests to helping families navigate the loss of a loved one, she never knows where the weekend will take her. Read the full spotlight →

Headlines in Healthcare

Serious nursing citations nearly double since 2019

The share of federal hospital inspections resulting in serious nursing citations nearly doubled from 6.3% in 2019 to 12% in 2025, with California driving much of the increase. These condition-level citations represent CMS's most severe finding short of immediate jeopardy, signaling that a facility is out of compliance with federal standard requirements. The sharp rise reflects growing federal scrutiny and regulatory pressure on acute care hospital nursing services.

UMMS tool streamlines nurse onboarding, saves $3.8M

The University of Maryland Medical System reports saving $3.8 million in labor costs by implementing a nurse-developed readiness assessment tool called OARS. According to a UMMS news release, this platform improves onboarding by prioritizing competency-based progress over traditional time-based metrics. This development demonstrates how nurse-led innovations can directly improve institutional efficiency while supporting new staff during their transition.

CMS launches $275M nursing home recruitment initiative

Nurses working in long-term care may benefit from a new CMS initiative offering up to $40,000 in student loan repayment and $10,000 stipends in exchange for three-year commitments in rural facilities. According to Becker's Hospital Review, the program aims to support over 4,000 nurses. While long-term care associations praised the move, they cautioned that recruitment must be balanced with broader retention strategies.

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