November 15th, 2017
Nurse Practitioner by Day, Mama by Night (or All the Time)
Emily F. Moore, RN, MSN, CPNP-PC, CCRN
As I first ventured into motherhood, I was often asked by my sisters, friends, and colleagues how I did it. Not only how I was able to be a mom while also working full-time as a regional nurse practitioner, in a role that involves frequent travel, but how I made it look so easy. To […]
October 5th, 2017
An Old Procedure, A New Beginning
Emily F. Moore, RN, MSN, CPNP-PC, CCRN
“My heart hurts,” said Brooklyn, then three years old, as she grabbed her chest and sat down. Quickly checking the girl over, Brooklyn’s parents felt her heart indeed pounding in her chest, and took her to the emergency department. There, they were shocked to hear that their daughter was in cardiac arrest. Shortly afterward, Brooklyn […]
September 1st, 2017
Obesity Counseling: Getting Real
Emily F. Moore, RN, MSN, CPNP-PC, CCRN
“Your BMI puts you in the obese category. You need to limit weight gain to 10 pounds this pregnancy.” As the obstetrician’s words sunk in, I was overcome with embarrassment. Sure, I knew I was overweight, but I was pregnant. And according to my BMI, I have been “obese” for years. But this was the first […]
July 26th, 2017
When a Child Receives Care at a non-Children’s Hospital
Emily F. Moore, RN, MSN, CPNP-PC, CCRN
In a recent post, I wrote about my niece’s episode of appendicitis. Another part of that story relates to her post-op course. When my sister first called asking my advice on whether or not her daughter needed to be treated, I didn’t specify where she should take her. She ended up going to a general […]
June 9th, 2017
How Giving Friends and Family Medical Advice Made Me Sick
Emily F. Moore, RN, MSN, CPNP-PC, CCRN
The other night, my sister called me asking if she should take my niece to the emergency department. She had been complaining of abdominal pain with on-and-off vomiting and diarrhea for a couple days. According to my sister, she had gotten to the point where the pain was unbearable. I quickly ran through my niece’s […]
April 27th, 2017
Getting Worked Up Over Kids’ Fevers
Emily F. Moore, RN, MSN, CPNP-PC, CCRN
Few things worry a mother more than a baby with a fever. With my own girls, I am naturally uneasy and do not like when they have fevers, even though as a health care provider I know that fevers are natural. But it wasn’t until my three-year-old started having chronic fevers that I realized how […]
April 4th, 2017
Of Little Hearts and Little Teeth
Emily F. Moore, RN, MSN, CPNP-PC, CCRN
Recently, I had to cancel a child’s heart surgery because she had multiple cavities. I recall spending close to an hour explaining the surgical process and obtaining a complete history and physical only to then discover obvious caries on multiple teeth during an oral exam. Turning to the parents, I asked when their daughter had last […]
March 3rd, 2017
Asking Pediatric Patients About Drug Use
Emily F. Moore, RN, MSN, CPNP-PC, CCRN
I remember the very first time I obtained an adolescent HEADSSS assessment in graduate school (HEADSSS being the acronym for Home environment, Education and employment, Eating, peer-related Activities, Drugs, Sexuality, Suicide/depression, and Safety from injury and violence). Walking into my patient’s room, I was likely more nervous than my patient was. I recall telling my […]
January 11th, 2017
On the Front Lines of Regional Medicine
Emily F. Moore, RN, MSN, CPNP-PC, CCRN
Being of Alaska Native decent, my desire to practice medicine in Alaska was only natural. However, once I started venturing out into the large geographical region my institution serves, I realized there is nothing scarier than sending a fragile patient home to some of these isolated areas. A large part of my job is to collaborate […]
November 30th, 2016
A Colicky Conundrum
Emily F. Moore, RN, MSN, CPNP-PC, CCRN
After my first baby, I always said that my second one was bound to be clingy, colicky, and skinny, as my first daughter was fat and happy. Aside from a few bursts of crying between 4 and 6 weeks of age, she was the perfect baby. My second daughter is now 3.5 months old. When she […]