The patient who nominated Nikki for the DAISY Award recounts how she and Nikki developed a friendship when they worked together in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) at Jefferson University Hospital. The patient, a hospital chaplain, now works at Jefferson's Methodist Hospital in South Philadelphia and wrote:

"When she heard I was in the ER she came from home on her day off and kept me company," the patient wrote. "She gave me emotional support, helped me to understand what the doctors were telling me, and gave me guidance in the questions I should ask. She stayed the whole day, and even overnight, sleeping in the recliner in my room!"

All told Nikki spent more than 20 hours with her colleague and friend during the hospitalization.

"I cannot fully express what a huge comfort it was for me having her by my side," the patient wrote in her nomination. "In working at Jefferson University Hospitals, I see wonderful nurses every day, and I want to lift up Nikki as an example of a compassionate nurse who went above and beyond for me and does so daily for her patients."