It is my pleasure to nominate Nicole Snell, RN BSN for the DAISY Award. I have had the pleasure of working alongside Nicole for the past four years on the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology unit and she is one of the best nurses I have worked with in my eleven-year career. If I had to pick one word that described Nicole as a nurse I would say advocate. She is the most caring nurse and treats every patient as if they were her own family member. She is very meticulous in her care and takes the time to get to know each patient and family member on a personal level. Nicole is always looking out for the best interest of her patients and is an extremely strong advocate for every individual that she takes care of. I could write a whole book of examples of ways that Nicole advocates for her patients, but I am going to elaborate on one specific instance.    

Nicole was taking care of one of our oncology patients, who was an inmate in a nearby prison. While he was here, Nicole noticed that he was extremely limited in his movement. He was unable to walk and unable to feed himself due to side effects of chemo that had left him with limited mobility. In conversations with the patient, she asked him how he was able to shower and go to the bathroom in prison. He stated he has been crawling back and forth to the toilet and he had not been showering because he's unable to walk. He also stated that he is unable to eat some of the food the prison offers him because he cannot pick the food up with his hands due to contractions.

Nicole, as always, voiced her concerns during rounds with the physicians that day. She always conveys her concerns very professionally and calmly but in a serious manner. She reiterated the challenges that the patient had been facing in prison due to his physical status post chemotherapy. She stated that, yes, he is a prisoner and he has made mistakes but he is a human being and these things that he is unable to get help with in prison are basic human rights that should be given to anyone. If she is fighting for what is best for the patient, Nicole does not take no for an answer. If Nicole had not brought these issues to the physician's attention, the patient may have gone back to prison and continued to not get the basic care he needed as a human being.  After rounds were over, she spoke with the social worker assigned to the patient and said directly "I really need you to try and take care of this and make sure he gets the help he needs please". The social worker responded, "I will do my best, Nicole". Because of Nicole advocating for the basic human rights of her patient, he was able to go to Mount Nittany physical rehabilitation after his hospital stay in order to work on his mobility. There he was given special wrist cuffs to work on being able to feed himself and learn ways that he will be able to improve his mobility. I am very confident that if it were not for Nicole advocating for this patient, he would have gone straight back to prison, where he would have continued to be unable to feed himself and shower. 

I think that Nicole showed the true heart of a nurse in this specific situation. She is caring and nurturing to all of her patients, but the advocacy she exhibited in this scenario is the mindset every human being should have for one another. She didn't care what he had done in the past. She cared that he was getting the treatment he needed and deserved and was granted his basic human rights. She was exemplifying grace and tenderness to this individual in an otherwise rough and unforgiving world. If I ever had a family member or friend in the hospital, Nicole is one hundred percent the kind of nurse I would want taking care of them. She is diligent, pays attention to details, and is always there to support and advocate for her patients. She gives her all every shift that she is on and pours her energy and love into these patients. She has made a difference in so many lives in doing so. I think that Nicole is a true DAISY Nurse. 

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