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.

AGING IN PLACE OR WAITING TO DIE?

Aging in place wasn’t in vogue when I first became a gerontological nurse practitioner in the early ‘80s. And my patients certainly didn’t know they were aging in place. Especially Helen. She called it waiting to die. The Senior Clinic I worked in had just relocated from a one-bedroom apartment on the 10th floor to…… Continue reading AGING IN PLACE OR WAITING TO DIE?

THE TIME IS RIGHT

A friend deliberated whether she should visit her father for his 95th birthday. She was swamped with commitments. Since he was unaware of his birthday as well of his surroundings and didn’t even recognize his three daughters, there was no urgency to travel to another state. However, she cleared her schedule and made the trip,…… Continue reading THE TIME IS RIGHT

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Originally posted on Write Along with Me:
As she lay dying from pancreatic cancer, Nurse Martha Keochareon wanted to do more than plan her funeral. So she called her alma mater and offered to become a “case study” for nursing students. She reasoned she could help students learn about the dying process while, at the…

I WAS THE ONLY ONE

I can’t believe I was the only one. In my last post I referenced The Truth About Nursing blog in which we are asked to write to two journalists who did not mention nurses in their article about Hillary Clinton’s hospitalization. The story read as if doctors were the only health professionals caring for her.…… Continue reading I WAS THE ONLY ONE

SILENT NO MORE

When will nurses cease to be invisible? The web site The Truth About Nursing discusses an article about Hillary Clinton’s hospitalization in which the author did not make one reference to nursing (MatthewLee, “Hillary Clinton hospitalized with blood clot,” Bloomberg Businessweek, December 31, 2012 *). The Truth About Nursing suggests if Clinton needed to be…… Continue reading SILENT NO MORE

LOVE OF FOOD

As I continue editing my book (I’m a tiny bit behind schedule), I am adding more food references. Food has always had a hold on me. Growing up in both Italian and Polish traditions, the fabric of my childhood was knitted with gustatory delights. Food meant comfort and caring. One repast I’ll never forget was…… Continue reading LOVE OF FOOD

ONE SMALL STEP

I hear my five-year old grandson laughing and think of the twenty first-graders killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. How safe will his school be next year? The National Rife Association suggestion of an armed guard in the hallway of each school doesn’t reassure me but persuades me all the more to do what…… Continue reading ONE SMALL STEP

NOT SURPRISING NURSES ARE THE MOST TRUSTED PROFESSIONALS

NURSES ARE THE MOST TRUSTED PROFESSIONALS This is from the Medscape Medical News Nurses Remain Nation’s Most Trusted Professionals Jenni Laidman  Dec 06, 2012 Authors & Disclosures Medical professionals are among the most trusted people in the United States, a new Gallup survey shows, with 85% of survey respondents ranking nurses highest for honesty and ethics, followed by…… Continue reading NOT SURPRISING NURSES ARE THE MOST TRUSTED PROFESSIONALS