Honoring The Contributions of Nurses to the Health of the United States

Featured image for National Nurses Week 2023

National Nurses Week is an opportune moment for us in the nursing profession to reflect on our nation's overall health and wellbeing and our role in redesigning and improving traditional models of health services. Check out a new framework from the Duke University School of Nursing that can inform how nurse-led models of care can effectively mitigate health inequities.

There’s More to the Story…

Featured image for National Library Week post

This year’s National Library Week theme is “There’s More to the Story.” A good story has a beginning, a middle, and an end, with an interesting setting and a fascinating cast of characters… and libraries have exceptional stories to tell. What is the rest of the story for the NIH Library?

Addressing Inequities to IMPROVE Maternal Health for All

Today marks the beginning of Black Maternal Health Week, an observance that brings awareness to the state of Black maternal health in the United States, gives voice to the experiences of Black families, and highlights the critical need to improve maternal health outcomes nationwide.

From Our Community to Yours, Happy Healthful Halloween!

Guest post by Jeffrey S. Reznick, PhD, Chief of the History of Medicine Division (HMD) at the National Library of Medicine (NLM). I have always associated Halloween with community and health. My family and I appreciate the holiday for the way it brings together our neighborhood of individuals and families with diverse backgrounds, creativity, and … Continue reading From Our Community to Yours, Happy Healthful Halloween!

Nursing in the Headlines

Every year, we celebrate National Nurses Week between May 6, which is National Nurses Day, and May 12, which happens to be Florence Nightingale’s birthday. If you haven’t picked up a specialty journal or public newspaper in the past few months, you may not know that nursing has made it to the headlines: Third of … Continue reading Nursing in the Headlines

Recognizing Women in History All Year Round

Women in history — and women making history — featured in this post.From left to right in the top row: Mary Lasker, Elizabeth Blackwell, Hope Hopps, Florence Sabin, Margaret Pittman, Patricia Palma, and Selma DeBakey. Middle row: Faye Abdellah, Deirdre Cooper Owens, Rosalind Franklin, Inez Holmes, Alice Evans, and Lois DeBakey. Bottom row: Maxine Singer, … Continue reading Recognizing Women in History All Year Round

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day Safely

Guest post by George F. Koob, PhD, Director of the NIH National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! Because drinking alcohol is a large part of the St. Patrick’s Day festivities for many people, this is a good time to be mindful of how alcohol can impact your celebrations and … Continue reading Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day Safely

Happy Heart Health Month, Valentine!

This week in the United States, along with many other countries around the world, we celebrate Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day celebrations have varied over the centuries, and many of us, myself included, send greetings to those we love — spouses, children, and dear friends — to strengthen the bond of affection. Valentine’s Day was first … Continue reading Happy Heart Health Month, Valentine!

Ending the HIV Epidemic: Equitable Access, Everyone’s Voice

Banner artwork showing red AIDS ribbon superimposed over the globe.

A guest post by Amanda J. Wilson, Chief, Office of Engagement and Training; Leigh Samsel, NLM Planning and Evaluation Officer, Office of Strategic Initiatives; and Elizabeth A. Mullen, Manager of Web Development and Social Media, History of Medicine Division, National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health. This year’s theme for World AIDS … Continue reading Ending the HIV Epidemic: Equitable Access, Everyone’s Voice

Please Join Me in Thanking our NLM Veterans

Every year at this time, I take advantage of Musings from the Mezzanine to share with you some of the things for which I am thankful. In my 2020 blog, I reflected on how far we’ve come together since I joined the NLM in 2016. In my 2019 blog, I mused about the people, professionals, … Continue reading Please Join Me in Thanking our NLM Veterans