Nichole is a spectacular nurse. Every time I see she is caring for one of my patients, I am so relieved. For the years I have worked with her, she has always been smart, hard-working, inquisitive, great with families, kind, thorough and dedicated to her patients - everything you want in a nurse caring for some of the most vulnerable patients in the hospital: sick and premature babies.
We worked together one day last month that stood out to me. She was caring for one of the sickest, most complex babies in the Neonatal ICU. She hadn't cared for this baby before, so the patient was new to her. She also had a new orientee to top it off, meaning she wasn't simply doing patient care, but teaching simultaneously. We spent the entire day at the baby's bedside together, and although the providers were making nearly constant changes to her medications, titrating her drips, adjusting ventilator settings, requesting frequent stat lab draws, Nichole handled it all effortlessly.
The moment we needed a medication adjusted, it was done. The moment we needed a lab sent, it was done. It was a physically and emotionally draining day for everyone involved, but Nichole never complained, continued to teach and mentor her orientee, took exceptional care of this patient, and was a fantastic team player.
The patient ended up needing emergency surgery in the NICU. Nichole stayed with the patient, helped out the OR and ICU staff, and continued to provide excellent care even in a more unfamiliar set up.
The doctor from another unit who continued care for the patient during and after the surgery came up to me afterward to compliment what a spectacular job Nichole did under pressure. She is fantastic, and this is just one example of the shining star that she is here at UMMC. She epitomizes everything the DAISY Award stands for.