The Flame
Don’t Go Home for the Holidays – Until You Read This!
For many years as a young adult, I greeted the winter holiday season with trepidation. It took many years to figure out that I was the one in charge of managing my 'holiday' stress. But then again, I have never been hospitalized during Christmas. That brings a whole...
What a Difference a Nurse Makes
November brings the holiday of Thanksgiving and with it, reminders for us all to give thanks for the blessings in our lives, however small. Besides my friends, family, good health and chocolate chip cookies, I am most grateful for my nursing colleagues at Guardian...
Bullies Are Not Just In Schoolyards Anymore
I think we can all agree on two things: Social media is a big part of kid's lives (as well as adults). Back in 2018, the Pew Research Center found that 97% of nearly 750 teenagers used a social media platform. I would dare to say that in 2023, if a child has a smart...
Road Trip!! 7 Safety Tips for Summer Driving
Only in Philadelphia could a major road re-opening be celebrated by all of the pro teams' mascots riding on a firetruck, but I bet ALL of us were cheering for the fantastic work that our building trades' union members did 24/7 on reopening Interstate 95. What could...
Where Are My Keys?
It's June! And that means besides being Pride month, and Men's Health Month, it's also Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. Worldwide, more than 55 million people are living with Alzheimer's and other dementias. Depending on the type of dementia (and there could be...
Food Safety at BBQs
We are less than two weeks away from Memorial Day, the unofficial start of the summer season. Just this past weekend, I attended a Mothers' Day barbeque and enjoyed a variety of salads, meats, fruit and desserts. Though the outdoor temperature was in the low 70's, I...
ACHOOO!!!! Tips for Allergy Sufferers
As a group of my colleagues at Guardian Nurses headed to our parking lot last week, we all noticed the pollen that had settled on our cars in just eight hours. No wonder so many of us have been sneezing and blowing our noses! And just this past weekend, I spent some...
The Gift of Showing Up
There are countless stories that we share at Guardian Nurses. Stories of our patients and their families, of nurses, of providers like nurse practitioners and physicians, and of other members of our big, confusing healthcare system. Given our role in our patients'...
Women’s Hearts Deserve More Than Chocolate and Roses
I don't know many women who would turn down roses or chocolate on Valentine's Day. But during Heart Month, after you deliver the roses and chocolate, let's talk about women's heart health. Many people believe that heart disease is 'only' a disease that affects men and...
Fighting Infection is in Your Hands
When you were growing up, how many times did your mother tell you to wash your hands? It was likely one of the early lessons our parents and teachers taught us. We know that feces (aka 'poop') from people or animals is an important source of germs. A single gram of...
SAD – Not Just an Adjective!
The Thanksgiving holiday typically signals the season of celebration and holidays---Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwaanza. But for many, the darker, colder days herald another type of period: one of fatigue, lethargy and depression. Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD — a...
What is RSV and Why Are So Many Kids Sick?
Hospitals, both pediatric and adult, are filled beyond capacity, patients are waiting in already-overcrowded emergency rooms. Nurses are being assigned more patients than is safe. And thus begins a flu season that’s hitting harder and earlier than usual. There's no...