Niki Kerins
June 2026
Niki
Kerins
,
BSN, RN
Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center
Charlotte
,
NC
United States
Niki called Huntersville and went out of her way to try to locate his ring.
My father was a patient transferred to the Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center cardiac intensive care unit after suffering a heart attack. After having a heart catheter, he came to NHPMC from Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center. This was unexpected and extremely difficult for my family. He was an amazing father and the most amazing grandfather.
My mom, brother, and I were at his side at the hospital with more family on the way. None of us have a medical background, so we had no knowledge of what was occurring and what to expect. We found the hospital to be very overwhelming, with alarms going off in his room on life support and constant fear of the unknown.
Nicole was working that night as a clinical support nurse and just happened to be on the unit when my family needed it most. Although she was not directly caring for my dad, I believe she stopped, talked to us, and realized right away, without prompting, that we needed support. She sat with us and cared for us as a family, getting us water, tissues, and blankets. She explained the monitor and why it was beeping. Most importantly, she listened- I mean really listened. She gave us an understanding of hospital care and addressed all of our concerns without knowing specifics of my dad. We didn’t even know what “CATH” meant.
She was so knowledgeable, so easy to understand, and so patient with her explanations of our questions. Not only did she do all that, but also my dad’s ring was missing, which he never took off. Niki called Huntersville and went out of her way to try to locate his ring. We had no idea how to start that process. She never made us feel like a burden; in fact, the opposite. She even got my mom her favorite snack, since she hadn’t eaten in days.
She thought of everything to make us feel at ease and special. I know people say nurses are angels and heroes, and she proved this over and over that night. She came to see us again to follow up on the belongings and make sure we were okay. We think of her often, and how special she was and how lucky we were to encounter her during our toughest time.
My mom, brother, and I were at his side at the hospital with more family on the way. None of us have a medical background, so we had no knowledge of what was occurring and what to expect. We found the hospital to be very overwhelming, with alarms going off in his room on life support and constant fear of the unknown.
Nicole was working that night as a clinical support nurse and just happened to be on the unit when my family needed it most. Although she was not directly caring for my dad, I believe she stopped, talked to us, and realized right away, without prompting, that we needed support. She sat with us and cared for us as a family, getting us water, tissues, and blankets. She explained the monitor and why it was beeping. Most importantly, she listened- I mean really listened. She gave us an understanding of hospital care and addressed all of our concerns without knowing specifics of my dad. We didn’t even know what “CATH” meant.
She was so knowledgeable, so easy to understand, and so patient with her explanations of our questions. Not only did she do all that, but also my dad’s ring was missing, which he never took off. Niki called Huntersville and went out of her way to try to locate his ring. We had no idea how to start that process. She never made us feel like a burden; in fact, the opposite. She even got my mom her favorite snack, since she hadn’t eaten in days.
She thought of everything to make us feel at ease and special. I know people say nurses are angels and heroes, and she proved this over and over that night. She came to see us again to follow up on the belongings and make sure we were okay. We think of her often, and how special she was and how lucky we were to encounter her during our toughest time.