October 2022
Nicole
Ernst
,
BSN, RN
Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant
UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh
,
PA
United States
There are countless patients whom Nikki has grown close with and demonstrated excellent care.
Nikki started her career on 9B over 6 years ago. She has always been quick to be adored by patients and families as well as her fellow staff. Nikki rose to the challenge after a couple of years of experience and became a clinical leader and functions as a primary charge nurse on 9B present day. She is also a member of the Vascular Access Committee and is passionate regarding the care of our central lines. Nikki is always professional, knowledgeable, and supportive of both the patients/families of 9B and her coworkers.
She truly goes above and beyond to ensure the patient’s needs are met as well as her coworkers. There are countless patients whom Nikki has grown close with and demonstrated excellent care. She does amazing little things that make such a difference in their lives. We would like to share a few of them with you.
First, there is M. M was a 16-year-old patient who passed away last year. M, unfortunately, experienced some struggles in his family life. Therefore, M spent a lot of time on 9B. Nikki along with other nurses and child life would spend countless hours hanging out with M and take him to Starbucks for countless Frappuccinos and snacks from the gift shop. He was known as the “Starbucks King”.
Another example is C. He is an adult patient with special needs that was admitted to 9B as new oncology diagnosis. C’s first admission was difficult for him to deal with, and he went on a hunger strike. He only wanted french fries from McDonald’s. With no family at his bedside and his multiple day hunger strike, it was Nikki who went out of her way to go to McDonald’s and buy C food so that he would have something to eat.
This nomination is not about one act as a nurse. It is the consistent, kind, compassionate, above-and-beyond care that Nikki exhibits each day. She is one of the hardest working nurses we have experienced in our 25+year experience. She consistently puts others' needs above her own. I am proud to say she is a 9B nurse. We are lucky to have her as a nurse on our unit and would like to recognize her ongoing efforts and dedication to 9B.
She truly goes above and beyond to ensure the patient’s needs are met as well as her coworkers. There are countless patients whom Nikki has grown close with and demonstrated excellent care. She does amazing little things that make such a difference in their lives. We would like to share a few of them with you.
First, there is M. M was a 16-year-old patient who passed away last year. M, unfortunately, experienced some struggles in his family life. Therefore, M spent a lot of time on 9B. Nikki along with other nurses and child life would spend countless hours hanging out with M and take him to Starbucks for countless Frappuccinos and snacks from the gift shop. He was known as the “Starbucks King”.
Another example is C. He is an adult patient with special needs that was admitted to 9B as new oncology diagnosis. C’s first admission was difficult for him to deal with, and he went on a hunger strike. He only wanted french fries from McDonald’s. With no family at his bedside and his multiple day hunger strike, it was Nikki who went out of her way to go to McDonald’s and buy C food so that he would have something to eat.
This nomination is not about one act as a nurse. It is the consistent, kind, compassionate, above-and-beyond care that Nikki exhibits each day. She is one of the hardest working nurses we have experienced in our 25+year experience. She consistently puts others' needs above her own. I am proud to say she is a 9B nurse. We are lucky to have her as a nurse on our unit and would like to recognize her ongoing efforts and dedication to 9B.