I brought my husband to the ED due to the urgent care being at “capacity”. My husband felt horrible and that “something was really wrong” so I knew that we could not wait until the morning to be seen. The RNs in the ED were excellent from the time we checked in and throughout our treatment. Nikki stands out as going above and beyond. After a sepsis alert was called she explained everything to my husband as it was happening, not only what was happening but why it was happening.

She had a wonderful sense of humor that was very welcomed during this stressful time. She let us know what she was doing before doing it, narrating her care in a way that made my husband feel comfortable. She paid attention to all details. She started his IV with one stick and then explained to him why the lab would also need to draw blood. She explained about the IV antibiotic he was receiving as well as the other treatments he was receiving. Being an employee of the hospital, I thought perhaps this awesome treatment was because I worked here. When tests were being performed on my husband I stepped out of his room and into the hallway, I was able to observe that Nikki treated ALL of her patients with the same dignity and respect that she was giving to my husband.

Her passion for what she does is evident, she spoke to her patients as individuals and interacted with each patient at their level. Nikki made each patient (and family member) feel like they mattered. When it was determined that my husband would be going home, I was concerned that the pharmacy near our house would be closed. Nikki called our pharmacy, and discovered that it would be closed, so she called the local pharmacy down the street, made sure they were open, and had the doctor change the prescriptions to the local pharmacy.

I can’t thank Nikki enough for the quality of care that she gave to my husband, I am thankful that she was working that night.

Note: This is Nikki's 2nd DAISY Award!