I am sure Nurse Nicole had numerous patients the day I was on the outpatient surgery recovery floor (4 West) but I truly felt like I was the only patient she had to watch over, such was her level of professionalism. Her patient care was beyond exemplary. As a paramedic, I understand the basics of patient care and was very impressed with her clinical expertise. But, I can honestly state that Nurse Nicole went above and beyond all expectations. A highly personable and genuinely caring individual, she checked on me regularly and seemed to perceive my needs almost before I did.

The day had gone much longer than anticipated due to some concerns with my pacemaker/defibrillator post-surgery and it was well after 3p, about 5 hours after she left me in pre-op, when my wife was able to join me in my recovery room. During one of Nurse Nicole’s checks on me, she became aware of my wife’s concern about getting my post-surgery medications from our hometown pharmacy where the order had been placed.

We live 2 hours from the hospital and, living in a very rural location, the pharmacy closes at 7p weekdays. Providing I was discharged swiftly and there were no traffic or weather delays en route we would be chasing the clock to get to the pharmacy before it closed. We both knew I would need those medications that night.

Upon learning of this, Nicole immediately started making calls to have my prescriptions switched from our hometown pharmacy to the hospital’s pharmacy so that I would be sure to have them upon discharge. Understand, this was not a simple one-and-done phone call. Nicole had to make numerous calls, follow-ups, check messages, relay information between doctors/staff/departments and ultimately she was successful in assisting us. To see my wife’s stress over how we would obtain the medications immediately relieved and to know I would go home with much-needed pain management meds was an overwhelming thankful emotion that cannot be adequately described in words.

In the big scheme of things something as “simple” as changing medications pick-up may not seem an overwhelming task. But it was more than that - she gave two individuals so much more; she gave us her heart. She empathized with our situational stress and found a way to relieve it. I know Nicole did not have to do any of this at all. She could have performed her nursing tasks and not intervened in ‘our’ problem. Due to her extraordinary compassion, she tended not only to my physical care but to my and my wife’s emotional/psychological care as well. My wife and I departed Nicole’s care and Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital that evening with the peace of mind and body that comes from having been cared for by an angel on earth. Thank you to our angel, Nurse Nicole. We are forever grateful that your life touched ours. God bless.