My new project involves interviewing my classmates from nursing school. We “older nurses” are dying off. Who will be around to tell our stories? As I gear up to start this project, I’m educating myself in the art of interviewing. In the meantime, a serendipitous thing happened. Lynn Dow, RN, wrote about her long career…… Continue reading Nightingale Tales
Tag: memoir
Out of the Blue (aka Mr. Foley)
My story was published in Pulse: Stories from the Heart of Medicine on August 18, 2017 Out of the Blue Friday, 18 August 2017 Marianna Crane ~ As I sit in the exam room waiting for my first patient of the afternoon, the phone rings. It rings four more times before I realize that Amanda…… Continue reading Out of the Blue (aka Mr. Foley)
My Book Comes to Life
This past weekend I traveled to Chicago to attend the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the clinic where I worked 30 years ago. The clinic sets the stage for my memoir: Playing Sheriff: A Nurse Practitioner’s Story. The formal function on Friday had 500 in attendance but it was to the intimate and informal…… Continue reading My Book Comes to Life
Keeping “To-Do” Balls in the Air.
Have you ever been caught in the rain without an umbrella, raincoat or a nearby shelter? Since I’m a city girl and don’t hike, camp, bike over mountain trails, I rarely get caught unprepared. There is a lot going on in my life right now. I am in the process of publishing my first book,…… Continue reading Keeping “To-Do” Balls in the Air.
Don’t Question the Doctor
My friend Lois and I were talking on the phone the other day. We both graduated from diploma nursing schools in the early 60s. It was a time when the nurse was considered the “handmaiden” of the physician. We played the Doctor-Nurse Game* and even stood up when a doctor entered a room. Feeling powerless…… Continue reading Don’t Question the Doctor
Luther
I received my memoir manuscript from my editor this past week. Thankfully, she hadn’t any issues with structure. (I’m not counting the many grammatical errors she found that I thought I had addressed but still missed). Since the last version of my book, I have changed the title, dropped five chapters, deepened some others, and…… Continue reading Luther
PERSISTENCE
Originally posted on Getting Older: Charting the Uncharted:
In 2014, I finished my memoir. In spite of myself, I persisted and finished. Ten years ago, I left a full time nurse practitioner job and began to write in earnest. The book I just birthed is not the one I started then. It has been configured…
Baby Found A Home
There is one story I wrote that still chokes me up every time I read it. How could it be that something that happened over 40 years ago could still feel so raw? I walk down the hall of that ten-room pediatric unit in my mind—passing the linen closet on the left, the utility rooms…… Continue reading Baby Found A Home
WAS I DREAMING? PART TWO
Last week, I attended the second and last part of the TeamStepps workshop. In another post (“Was I Dreaming?”) I described the first workshop and my surprise at how the doctors willingly and enthusiastically participated in the dialogue and group activities. What would I find this time around? TeamStepps is a program that promotes teamwork…… Continue reading WAS I DREAMING? PART TWO
MY NURSING CAP
I have finally cleaned out the attic in preparation for a move. My speed at tackling this chore is directly related to what “treasures” I find. Sometimes I need to take time to look over the objects, reminisce and then struggle whether they get packed or pitched. A few days ago I found two of…… Continue reading MY NURSING CAP
Getting Older: Charting the Uncharted 