Debbie Moore-Black is a nurse who blogs at The Critical Care Nurse.

A lesson in generosity: How one woman helped a stranger afford insulin

Conditions
June 14, 2024

I waited in line at the pharmacy, a familiar chain store. The man in front of me waited patiently for the technician to ring up his meds. I overheard her say to him, “$125.00. That includes your insulin.”

The man bowed his head and smiled politely, showing many missing teeth. He was dressed modestly. I did not know his name. I did not know him. I had never met him before. …

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A lesson in generosity: How one woman helped a stranger afford insulin

Breaking free from denial: Embracing the truth

Conditions
April 21, 2024

I understand it well. You persuade yourself that everything is fine. And then you persuade others that your marriage is perfect.

You’re facing a terminal illness, but you’re the exception because it surely can’t happen to you.

You’re in poor health with unexplained aches and pains, but you avoid visiting your doctors, instead praying to Jesus to alleviate your pain. To heal you of whatever it might be.

Denial. I was a workhorse. …

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Breaking free from denial: Embracing the truth

Confronting colon cancer: a daughter’s regretful journey

Conditions
April 6, 2024

My mother. 63 years old. Colon cancer.

She first noticed rectal bleeding. She made excuses. Maybe it’s hemorrhoids.

She put her physician on a pedestal. He said, “You’re too young to die,” and there was no need for further tests.

Her daughters, both RNs (one an ICU nurse, the other an anesthetist), pleaded with her to get a colonoscopy. She refused. We pleaded with her getting a second opinion. She refused. Her once-plump …

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Confronting colon cancer: a daughter’s regretful journey

Surviving my nephrectomy nightmare: the night I’ll never forget

Conditions
February 24, 2024

My first post-op night after my nephrectomy was a mix of fantastical and almost devastating.

I woke up in the PACU after my surgery, extremely confused and disoriented. I felt like I was trapped inside a video game, desperately trying to escape.

Upon entering my new post-op room on a medical-surgical unit, it had that brand-new, hotel-like decor – shiny and pristine. The nurses, techs, and NPs greeted me with words of …

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Surviving my nephrectomy nightmare: the night I’ll never forget

NICU tragedy: How new nurses’ nail choices led to a newborn’s heartbreaking fate

Conditions
February 5, 2024

A small, cliquish bevy of nurses was working their way through orientation in the NICU straight out of nursing school. They were happy and thrilled to be accepted into this specialized nursing unit: the NICU.

Practicing good hygiene, washing hands up to the elbows with soap each time one entered a baby’s cubicle, and gowning and gloving was a standard and mandatory protocol before touching the babies.

These were preemies in the …

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NICU tragedy: How new nurses’ nail choices led to a newborn’s heartbreaking fate

From devastation to inspiration: my journey through 3 cancers

Conditions
January 3, 2024

A solid mass silently grew on my kidney. An unwelcome addition. Asymptomatic. Discovered haphazardly during a CT scan of my lungs … And it revealed itself.

At first, I was devastated. Will cancer ever leave me alone? It has already visited me twice before. First, breast cancer, also asymptomatic, detected during my very first mammogram at the age of 42, and then a troublesome mole that tested positive for melanoma.

I seemed …

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From devastation to inspiration: my journey through 3 cancers

From ICU to kidney mass: a nurse’s journey of fear

Conditions
December 6, 2023

After 32 years working as an ICU nurse, I believed I had developed a strong capacity to confront death alongside my patients. I had become accustomed to the challenging scenarios: co-morbidities, multi-system organ failure, emergency intubations, ventilators, pressors, central lines, art lines, failure-to-thrive cases, code blues, and the grim sounds of ribs cracking during CPR.

It was not uncommon to witness families desperately shouting, “Do everything,” even when there was little …

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From ICU to kidney mass: a nurse’s journey of fear

My breast cancer journey: Why mammograms matter

Conditions
October 24, 2023

25 years ago, at the age of 42, I had my first mammogram, which was part of my routine checkup. I had no symptoms at the time.

I was devastated when the radiologist discovered a shadow in my left breast. To confirm this, a biopsy was scheduled, and indeed, the biopsy confirmed that I had breast cancer.

I consider myself fortunate because we caught it early, and there was no involvement of …

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My breast cancer journey: Why mammograms matter

Second chances and simple beauty in thrift stores

Conditions
September 30, 2023

I like to thrift shop. Aisle after aisle weaves a story of people and their lives. Pieces of trinkets I’ll never need. But I can feel the hidden simple beauty, and then I have to have it. My children can line my gravesite with the thousands of collectible pottery… those awkward, strange gems I know I can’t take with me.

And then …

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Second chances and simple beauty in thrift stores

Unveiling a journey marked by talents and turmoil

Conditions
August 31, 2023

His 5-year-old daughter asked her mom, “Today is daddy’s birthday. Can we have a picnic at his grave?”

Bryan was 49 years old. He could really do anything. He could do renovations, carpentry, electrical work, play music, be a father and a husband, a son, an uncle, a brother, and a brother-in-law. He had an incredible sense of humor, was down-to-earth, and a big teddy bear to his children. No one …

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Unveiling a journey marked by talents and turmoil

Bully nurse in ICU: a shattered moment for a dying patient

Conditions
August 14, 2023

She was oil, and I was vinegar. We didn’t mix. Ever. Even though we wanted the best outcome for our ICU patients, we stood on opposite poles of the earth. Sometimes, there’s only room for one alpha dog, one ultimate bully. And that person wasn’t me.

Mr. Williams, 68 years old, received the tragic news from his physician. He was experiencing strange and unusual symptoms: slurred speech, muscle weakness, lack of …

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Bully nurse in ICU: a shattered moment for a dying patient

Life and death in the ICU: a night of heroism, tragedy, and budgetary battles

Conditions
July 8, 2023

ICU: Our acuities were high, and staffing was low. Our ICU, with 24 beds, was already full. The staffing situation for that night was so poor that instead of our RNs having a 2:1 patient-nurse ratio, we were forced into 3:1 assignments.

Despite the challenging circumstances, we couldn’t have asked for a better team of ICU nurses. They were the best in their field, supported by two dedicated Respiratory Therapists assigned …

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Life and death in the ICU: a night of heroism, tragedy, and budgetary battles

Fourth of July daredevil fireworks mishap: a tragic tale of loss and redemption

Conditions
July 3, 2023

Jason had always cherished the Fourth of July—it was his moment to shine. At 19 years old, he saw himself as a real man, a car mechanic who garnered the attention and admiration of the ladies. With a fit and muscular physique, he relished his workouts and delighted in showcasing his daredevil spirit.

The day was marked by a grand cookout, where Jason reunited with his high school friends. The smoky …

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Fourth of July daredevil fireworks mishap: a tragic tale of loss and redemption

The inspirational journey of an 82-year-old WWII veteran battling cancer

Conditions
June 21, 2023

He was 82 years old when he came into our ER, writhing in excruciating abdominal pain. After an ultrasound and a subsequent CT scan, the devastating diagnosis was revealed—end stage pancreatic and liver cancer.

Despite enduring a pain level of 10, he managed to maintain his sense of humor, joking about “biting the bullet.” However, he admitted that the pain had become unbearable.

This resilient individual was not just any patient; he …

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The inspirational journey of an 82-year-old WWII veteran battling cancer

Surviving the chaos: an inspiring journey of health care heroes

Conditions
June 13, 2023

Calling all health care personnel: EMTs, paramedics, nurses, CNAs, respiratory therapists, police, firefighters. All of you.

You’ve been cursed at, spat upon, hit, and scratched by fingernails. You never got that 30-minute break during those 12 long hours. You had to beg to use the restroom. Your staffing was minimal, and your 24/7 manager was nowhere to be found. Your fellow doctors are shouting at you, and patients’ family members are …

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Surviving the chaos: an inspiring journey of health care heroes

Inside the psychiatric unit: a PhD’s god-like status, ECT, and the harsh reality of mental illness treatment

Conditions
May 18, 2023

PhD, the big man on the psych unit’s eighth floor, puffed on his pipe while listening to the dialogue of the broken, misfits, psychotics, schizophrenics, and bipolar patients. Many were beaten at birth, both physically and emotionally. In this land of serpents, he felt like a god. He’d select patients one by one for ECT, electroconvulsive therapy, with electrodes attached to their heads and a mouthpiece in place. They were …

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Inside the psychiatric unit: a PhD’s god-like status, ECT, and the harsh reality of mental illness treatment

From insecurities to triumph: a nurse’s journey to overcome the odds

Conditions
May 14, 2023

I was afraid to attend football and basketball games, fearing people’s judgment. I had been conditioned to believe that I was short, fat, ugly, and stupid. I spent most of my time alone in my bedroom with the lights out, listening to music on repeat. I couldn’t escape the feeling that I didn’t measure up.

Although I was short, I wasn’t fat or …

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From insecurities to triumph: a nurse’s journey to overcome the odds

Unwavering faith: a woman’s journey through cancer and beyond

Conditions
May 5, 2023

Her back was mottled, and she could barely sit up. She was weak from her invasive cancer. I visited her on Easter Sunday. Perhaps it was God’s will that I didn’t have an elaborate Easter dinner with ham, rolls, pies, and house decor filled with decorative bunnies. Instead, I went to visit this dear friend I met by happenstance and her dear husband who always seemed to help me out. …

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Unwavering faith: a woman’s journey through cancer and beyond

The secret side of a brilliant ICU physician revealed

Conditions
April 25, 2023

As I look at his obituary pictures, I can’t help but feel a sense of longing. I wish I could have known him – that other side of him that his family, friends, and colleagues are sharing in their photos. They’re all smiling and laughing, hugging each other, and radiating a genuine sense of happiness.

He was one of our main ICU physicians, a brilliant man who could meticulously turn a …

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The secret side of a brilliant ICU physician revealed

Surviving infidelity: a story of strength and hope

Conditions
April 16, 2023

I was sitting alone in a rundown trailer in the woods, surrounded by five acres of trees that crowded the blue sky. I had 60 aminophylline pills in my hand, hoping they would end my life. As an asthmatic, I believed that this was the best way to escape my problems, and no one would ever find me in this remote location.

My husband and I had moved to this place …

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Surviving infidelity: a story of strength and hope

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