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.

Learning to Heal

I’ve long been a proponent of nurses writing their stories to educate the general public about what we really do. Here’s a book: Learning to Heal: Reflections on Nursing School in Poetry and Prosethat does that and more. The essays, from seasoned nurses as well as recent grads and “respected elders,” are set in the…… Continue reading Learning to Heal

Back to where it started: Chicago

I flew into cold, snowy Chicago last week to discuss my book at the main facility of Erie Family Health Centers. This felt like a dream as I stood behind the lectern gazing at the audience that, believe it or not, included a few familiar faces from some thirty years ago. I had been invited…… Continue reading Back to where it started: Chicago

Spotlight: Marianna Crane

Originally posted on Getting Older: Charting the Uncharted:
This appeared in the September 2017 Erie Family Health Center Donor Newsletter ? Anniversary Spotlight: Marianna Crane ? Over thirty years ago Dr. Sally Lundeen, a nurse and Erie Family Health Center’s first Executive Director, spearheaded a project that would provide care for the underserved elderly right…

The Musical “Hair” Revisited

Back in 1968, I stood outside a Broadway theater where “Hair” was playing and began to cry. My husband and I had just seen the play and were heading to Mamma Leone’s for dinner when I had an immediate need to feel despondent about my large body after seeing the svelte women dancing, at times…… Continue reading The Musical “Hair” Revisited

From Disengagement to Balance: The Journey to Positive Aging

  Many of you reading this are not old enough to remember the disengagement theory. When I started out in gerontology in the 80s this was one of three theories of aging I learned about, and the most depressing. The disengagement theory of aging states that “aging is an inevitable, mutual withdrawal or disengagement, resulting in decreased…… Continue reading From Disengagement to Balance: The Journey to Positive Aging

One of Top 50 Fantastic Blogs for Nurses 2018: Nursingstories.org

I came across the Nurse.org Blog by chance. What a surprise to see that my nursingstories.org was named one of the “top 50 fantastic blogs of 2018.” I’m only a year late to appreciate the honor. And it is an honor to be in the company of the other 49 nursing blogs. I think you…… Continue reading One of Top 50 Fantastic Blogs for Nurses 2018: Nursingstories.org

Nursing Truths for a New Era: Author Interview with Marianna Crane

Originally posted on The Practice of Creativity:
Happy new year, everyone! It feels especially poignant to begin the first post of the year with a special Author Q&A. More than a decade ago, before I formally began my coaching practice, I taught creativity workshops at UNC-Chapel Hill’s The Friday Center. They had a thriving adult…