Author: Marianna Crane

After a long career in nursing--I was one of the first certified gerontological nurse practitioners--I am now a writer. My writings center around patients I have had over the years that continue to haunt my memory unless I record their stories. In addition, I write about growing older, confronting ageism, creativity and food.
My memoir, "Stories from the Tenth Floor Clinic: A Nurse Practitioner Remembers" is available where ever books are sold.

The Power of Nurses

The World Health Organization designation of 2020 Year of the Nurse and Nurse Midwife has taken a back seat to the sensational political news alerts that fill our lives as if nothing else is important. This post is just a reminder that nurses still are on the front lines of COVID-19 and make a difference in our…… Continue reading The Power of Nurses

Nursing Students Provide Insights into the Pandemic

The media mainly focuses on the nurses and doctors who are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rarely do we hear what nursing students are experiencing.  Below is a repost from the Setonian, the official undergraduate newspaper of Seton Hall University. ********************************** Seton Hall nursing students and faculty provide unique insights into pandemic Posted By Alexander…… Continue reading Nursing Students Provide Insights into the Pandemic

Meet the Six Nightingale Awards Winners of 2020

A deep thank you to my friend and fellow writer Michele Murdock who sent me the first Star Nurses publication, which documents the collaborative effort between the Washington Post and the American Nurses Association (ANA) to nominate six nurses from across Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia who “go above and beyond.” Hopefully, we will have…… Continue reading Meet the Six Nightingale Awards Winners of 2020

The End of Writerly Silence: On a New (to Me) Workshop Model

Originally posted on The Brevity Blog:
By Kailyn McCord I grew up in what I’d call a traditional workshop. Non-genre specific, usually involving between six and twelve people, this model will be familiar to any in the capital-C capital-W Creative Writing world. In it, the writer under critique listens, verboten from speaking, while peers and…

The Trip to the Farmers Market

I drive to the Farmers Market on this dreary Friday. Frankly, it’s nice to have a break from the sunny, humid days. The gray skies impersonate an early Fall and lift my spirits.  This trip gets me out of the house and into a semblance of normalcy that I remember before the COVID-19 pandemic and…… Continue reading The Trip to the Farmers Market

Overdue Reckoning on Racism in Nursing

Originally posted on NurseManifest:
We are excited to announce a series of web discussions “Overdue Reckoning on Racism in Nursing” starting on September 12th, and every week through October 10th! This initiative is in part an outgrowth of our 2018 Nursing Activism Think Tank and inspired by recent spotlights on the killing of Black Americans…

Writing advice: Anne Lamott and Toni Morrison

This past Saturday, I watched Anne Lamott on a webinar sponsored by Book Passage. She spoke from her home for three hours, sharing her wisdom on writing. She shared titles of books that might help with writing: Stephen King, On Writing, A Memoir of the Craft Walter Mosley, This Year You Write Your Novel Abigail Thomas, Thinking About…… Continue reading Writing advice: Anne Lamott and Toni Morrison

Olden Days of Nursing: Dialysis

I still remember the teenager but not his name or how long he had been getting peritoneal dialysis (PD). I recall him walking between his parents down the long hospital corridor. He was going home to die. A father with small children had preempted the teenager’s spot on the dialysis unit. Restricting patients was necessary…… Continue reading Olden Days of Nursing: Dialysis

Hedda Hopper’s Lemon Pie

When I first read that men thought of sex every seven seconds, I thought that’s me. No, not that I think of sex but that I think of food frequently.  Even when I worked full time, I planned our family dinner each evening. Meal planning and cooking seemed more of a hobby that a chore. I…… Continue reading Hedda Hopper’s Lemon Pie