The Flame

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More Than a Color. More than a Month.

More Than a Color. More than a Month.

Since 1985, October has had a special recognition of being Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Maybe you've noticed the color pink everywhere. Likely everyone reading this has had someone they love diagnosed with breast cancer. And many of those same folks have also known...

It’s Greek to Me. Or Maybe it’s Latin.

Well, for most school-age children and their parents, September means 'back to school.' And it shall be no different this month for readers of The Flame. This past month, I've had the enormous pleasure of volunteering at the Florence Nightingale Museum in London. As...

Do Nurses Have Pet Peeves? (Yes.)

Do Nurses Have Pet Peeves? (Yes.)

It's July and the temperatures are climbing. A nurse colleague in Tucson, Arizona reports that today, outside of her office, it's 108 degrees. Walking outside to go to lunch in Philly you'll be hit with stifling humidity. So it's no surprise that this episode of The...

A Spoonful of Medicine; A Shot Glass of Sunscreen

A Spoonful of Medicine; A Shot Glass of Sunscreen

Today marks the 'official' start of summer! Most U.S. schools are dismissed, movie theaters enjoy larger audiences, families head out on vacations to the beaches, lakes, campgrounds, mountains, and cities and baseball games are in play again. At or centered on the...

Baby Formula Resources

Baby Formula Resources

In February, Abbott, the largest producer of baby formula in the U.S., and the maker of Similac, was ordered by the FDA to shut down their production facility which produces Similac, EleCare and several other leading powdered baby formulas. Cronobacter bacteria had...

Who Doesn’t Like to Laugh?

Who Doesn’t Like to Laugh?

I don't know about you, but it has felt like forever to get to April! But it's here now and with it, lots of April holidays and celebrations. Most of us know about April Fool’s day. We may play a few harmless pranks on friends, co-workers and family members. What...

Talking with Kids about War

Talking with Kids about War

Imagine if World War II or the Vietnam War had played out 'live' on television and computer screens all over the world? In this age of 24/7 news cycles and ubiquitous social media, our children, like us, are experiencing the visceral day-to-day reality of war in the...

Regrets? I’ve Had a Few.

Regrets? I’ve Had a Few.

Just in these first two months of 2022, I have already been to two funerals. And last year, I lost several friends. Not to mention the patients that our Guardian Nurses team lost. Sadly, death is part of life. And many books have been written on common regrets that...

New Year. New You.

New Year. New You.

Happy New Year!  The beginning of a new year is often a time for reflection. It is also a time when people think about their futures, their goals, and quite often, improving their health. So we make resolutions, but according to recent research, while as many as 45%...

Have ‘The Conversation’

Have ‘The Conversation’

November is my favorite month. Not just because it's my birthday month, but the weather is cool and crisp, and the Thanksgiving holiday offers a chance to give thanks. And in these polarized times, we might all benefit from a little more gratitude in our lives. And...

Helping Someone Who is Grieving

Helping Someone Who is Grieving

I'll admit, it's been an emotional two months. In August, my dear friend and mentor, Karen Kirby, RN, MSN, died from cancer. Then, in September, our Guardian Nurses' colleague and friend, Mary Jane Darbee, RN, BSN also died from cancer. This month, another dear...

Let the Patient- and Family – Beware

Let the Patient- and Family – Beware

With so much—SO much—going on in our world of late, it feels like I could write on a plethora of subjects. But then, just this past Sunday, I read an article in the New York Times on the increasing frequency of medicating nursing home patients with anti-psychotic...