Debbie Moore-Black, RN

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

The heartbreaking reality of smoking: a daughter’s final goodbye

September 7, 2024Sep 7, 2024

Fred was the cool guy. Back in the 1950s and 60s, smoking cigarettes was considered movie star quality. That circling of smoke in his parked car with the girl of his dreams. He started smoking at the tender age of…

Fred was the cool guy.

Back in the 1950s and 60s, smoking cigarettes was considered movie star quality. That circling of smoke in his parked car with the girl of his dreams.

He started smoking at the tender age of 15.

Fred had it figured out. Cigarettes were glamorous. Cigarettes were cool.

Doctors advertised that smoking was good for you. It helped you keep weight off, and it relieved your anxiety.

In 1965, the Surgeon …

Conditions and Diseases

The hidden pain behind a smile

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

August 30, 2024Aug 30, 2024

(Trigger warning: suicide attempt) It was dinner time at this hospital's psychiatric unit. They shuffled into the dining area—slippers, pajamas, disheveled, sad, lonely, depressed ... and forgotten. Head count. All were present except for one: Rita. Faithful Rita. Always at…

(Trigger warning: suicide attempt)

It was dinner time at this hospital’s psychiatric unit. They shuffled into the dining area—slippers, pajamas, disheveled, sad, lonely, depressed … and forgotten.

Head count. All were present except for one: Rita. Faithful Rita. Always at every therapy session, including poetry therapy, art therapy, and bingo night. Always smiling and laughing, cheering up the other patients. Rita was 54 years old and a mother of three. Her husband …

Read more…

The hidden pain behind a smile

Conditions and Diseases

The health care assembly line. Time is money.

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

July 27, 2024Jul 27, 2024

After 45 years as an ICU nurse specializing in surgical trauma ICU and eventually PACU nursing, Marsha wasn't ready to retire. She was restless and bored and decided to continue her PACU expertise at a freestanding surgical center. While juggling…

After 45 years as an ICU nurse specializing in surgical trauma ICU and eventually PACU nursing, Marsha wasn’t ready to retire. She was restless and bored and decided to continue her PACU expertise at a freestanding surgical center. While juggling that job and an endoscopy center, she started to notice a recurring theme: time is money.

The endoscopy freestanding clinic performed colonoscopies, EGDs, and sigmoidoscopies—up to 42 procedures a day. More …

Conditions and Diseases

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

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

June 14, 2024Jun 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…

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. …

Conditions and Diseases

Breaking free from denial: Embracing the truth

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

April 21, 2024Apr 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…

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. …

Conditions and Diseases

Confronting colon cancer: a daughter’s regretful journey

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

April 6, 2024Apr 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.…

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 …

Conditions and Diseases

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

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

February 24, 2024Feb 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…

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 …

Conditions and Diseases

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

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

February 5, 2024Feb 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…

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 …

Conditions and Diseases

From devastation to inspiration: my journey through 3 cancers

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

January 3, 2024Jan 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…

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 …

Conditions and Diseases

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

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

December 6, 2023Dec 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,…

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

Conditions and Diseases

My breast cancer journey: Why mammograms matter

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

October 24, 2023Oct 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.…

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 …

Conditions and Diseases

Second chances and simple beauty in thrift stores

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

September 30, 2023Sep 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…

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 …

Conditions and Diseases

Unveiling a journey marked by talents and turmoil

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

August 31, 2023Aug 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…

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 …

Conditions and Diseases

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

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

August 14, 2023Aug 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…

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 …

Conditions and Diseases

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

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

July 8, 2023Jul 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…

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 …

Conditions and Diseases

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

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

July 3, 2023Jul 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 …

Conditions and Diseases

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

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

June 21, 2023Jun 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…

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 …

Conditions and Diseases

Surviving the chaos: an inspiring journey of health care heroes

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

June 13, 2023Jun 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…

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 …

Conditions and Diseases

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

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

May 18, 2023May 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…

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 …

Conditions and Diseases

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

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

May 14, 2023May 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,…

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 …