Nicola was my father's nurse, my father was in the hospital for almost a month there at Desert Regional. During that time, he had a few nurses that stuck out with their kindness and compassion, and his favorite was Nicola. She always greeted my father, me and his visitors with a smile, one you could see in her eyes was heartfelt. She would treat his complaints with respect and would give him explanations when he did not understand. Nicola would constantly check on him, making sure he was doing okay, that shows me how much she cares about her patients. My father was a jokester with a great sense of humor. I appreciate Nicola going right along with my dad's jokes, smiling and laughing, even though his situation was serious. Laughter is the best medicine you can give to another person, and she did that for my father. That truly made his last few weeks of life enjoyable, to have a nurse who can make you feel comfortable in the most uncomfortable place - a hospital.

What a wonderful gift and blessing to have a compassionate nurse who gave her best on every level of care. I know my father would have been happy to know his favorite nurse, Nicola, was receiving this award.