Nicki was my RN on days, May 9 & 10 and PM's May 12. I was most impacted by her care on the weekend when I was having a very difficult time with pain and nausea control and total body weakness. Having been an RN in my past life, I knew what I was supposed to be doing; using the inspiratory breathing tool, getting out of bed to the chair and trying to walk but my body was not co-operating with me and I was totally discouraged. I can recall lying on my side in bed at one point and thinking "it would be much easier to just die" though I did not want to die. She truly listened to what I was saying: how I was "seeing" weird colors and having very weird dreams and how the Fentanyl did not seem to be relieving my pain no matter how often I pushed the button. I believe she was instrumental in getting the doctors to pay attention to what I was saying and get my pain med changed to Dilaudid which still caused weird dreams but relieved my pain at last. She also suggested alternative methods of pain relief such as a heating pad and abdominal binder and when I agreed to try them they appeared at my bedside within a short time and the heating pad was applied the next time I got up to use the commode.

My husband agrees that she along with my night RN on Saturday was instrumental in getting them to finally transfuse me 2 more units of PRBCs. The transfusion is what FINALLY turned things around for me and I was able to get out of bed and do what was necessary to get better.

She was kind, caring and very attuned to my care, she stood out in my mind.