Nick Koelendorfer, RN

My 85 y/o mom came to the ED from her assisted living facility after a fall. Mom has severe dementia with about a 20-second memory span. She was diagnosed with severe anemia, hemoglobin of 4, and needed a transfusion. For most of my career, I was the chief operating officer of a small, community hospital. I have never met a better nurse than Nick. He is kind, empathetic, compassionate, and patient toward everyone (patients, family, coworkers). He kept me informed throughout the entire experience and must be the most intelligent, competent nurse in the world. He was caring for several very sick patients, most in worse shape than my mom, and never missed a beat. He smiled, he whistled, and then he would lower his voice and speak so kindly to the family of a critically ill patient. He took care to respect Mom’s privacy and make sure I knew everything that he was doing, why he was doing it, and what would happen next. He was even able to translate for a Hispanic patient. When I saw that, I asked him if there was anything he couldn’t do, and he blushed and was so humble. I saw a poster while I was waiting about the DAISY Award, which I’m familiar with, and decided I had to nominate him. He is more than deserving.