I just want to let you know how impressed I was with Nicole Schweighardt yesterday. From the minute she took report on her patient, she picked up that he was not doing well. She advocated for him all morning, contacting multiple physicians to advise them of the patient's status and seek an evaluation for critical care and further orders. What impressed me most about Nicole through all of this was her tenacity in advocating for her patient. She could have gone about her day, occasionally looking in on him, but she chose not to. Every single roadblock she met, she went around. It seriously felt like the universe was testing her! She stayed persistent, used all resources available to her, and went with her gut to fight for proper care for this patient, who is somebody's family and loved one. She did finally get him to CCU.

As a senior nurse, and as a nursing instructor, I want to commend her for her ability to use critical thinking and assessment skills throughout this situation. I also want to commend her for her empathy and compassion to see this patient as someone important and worth fighting for. She was determined to get this patient to the best level of care that he deserved. I am just so proud of her, and proud to be a part of a team of nurses on 2400 that advocate for their patients and for each other. It gives me great hope for the future of nursing!