nick swatt, RN

Recently, Nick was caring for a 15-year-old boy with severe autism. The boy was newly diagnosed with leukemia and having difficulty processing and tolerating all the new experiences of being in the hospital. In particular, the boy de-accessed his port-a-cath 5 times in a 24 hour period. The care team had tried multiple methods to help him tolerate the port so he could receive chemotherapy - none of which were very effective. At one point during treatment, the boy decided to lie down on the floor. Nick literally got down on the floor with him and held his port in place for more than one hour so his chemo and hydration fluids could be completed. The whole time Nick was talking to the boy and trying to keep him calm and comforted so he would not pull out his access again. Nick goes above and beyond each day to care for his patients. He is truly and extraordinary nurse and the heart of 7B.