Nicole Zaske was a nurse on PCU when my mother-in-law was admitted for Sepsis from recurrent UTIs. The patient had been admitted about 3-4 times over the course of about 6 months, each time becoming sicker and deteriorating health. Nicole was well-known to the patient and the large family. Nicole's swift care was noticed and appreciated by all. She has a matter-of-fact attitude and doesn't sugar-coat anything. She was able to speak with family members using terms and explanations that they could understand, eliminating specific medical jargon. As the patient transitioned to Hospice Care, Nicole was able to help the family members who were reluctant to that transition as they didn't understand the depth of the patient's declining health. Nicole helped to explain that the patient was showing signs of nearing death and helped support the family members who needed it. She advocated for the patient at all times. She made sure her pain was well controlled and sought orders from the providers when needed. She had many requests from many family members for updates and always took the time to make them feel their questions were important. Nicole has great empathy for her patients and end-of-life care, and it's obvious she is very compassionate about her role as the RN providing care.

This family truly appreciated all the care given by all staff members, from housekeeping, lab, PCTs, and the experienced providers. However, Nicole is one they will never forget who provided excellent care to their mother as she transitioned to end of life. MyMichigan Health - Alpena is lucky to have Nicole. She is well deserving of the DAISY Award.