Nicole came on shift on our second day of our stay. We had good care before, and there was nothing to complain about, but when she arrived, she went above and beyond. She and another nurse were working together, and both ladies made it feel like I could relax. My son had a procedure that not many get to see in their career, and I get super nervous and worry about every little thing but with Nicole here on our team the two days she was I didn’t worry about needing to step out because I knew she had him and was doing everything a momma would do with the experience and knowledge a nurse has. You could tell she cared about our son as much as a mom would for their own child. Even down to her hunting down pieces missing from the Hot Wheels track and a dinosaur car to drive when our little guy was sad, he never got to drive one again after surgery! We were so grateful that she was here for two of the days he stayed and were able to feel so much love and care for not only our son but also for us. She took the time to listen to and work with us as parents to ensure we were all on the same page and felt comfortable and confident in his care. I am a very visual person, and she took the time to write out multiple med times and what we could offer so we could see and plan the best care for his pain management. She listened to our concerns and answered any questions we had with confidence! We were so lucky to have her on our team!

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Nicole’s actions made it possible for me to feel comfortable and confident to step out and take a mental health break. As a mom, it’s so hard to leave a young child who can’t advocate for themselves, but Nicole made it possible for me to feel like I could. I knew she had him and was going to make the best decision for the things he needed. I wouldn’t have made it through our stay without those breaks and feeling like someone cared as much as I did. She taught our three-year-old how to push the call button when I needed to step out and happily answered and teased with him when it became a game of let’s push this as many times as I can! She took the time to write out med times and options so we could decide how and when would be best, and gave me the information I needed to feel good about his care!