November 2023
Nicole
Naleck
,
RN, BSN
Orthopedic and Neurology
Advocate Sherman Hospital
Elgin
,
IL
United States
She made our family feel relieved and comfortable leaving to eat and care for ourselves, which was amazing. She deserves so much appreciation for going above and beyond.
My grandmother with dementia fell and crushed multiple bones in her spine and is in terrible condition. Nicole was so kind and worked to help her and our family feel comfortable, as my grandma was very high in anxiety coming into the hospital and was unable to verbalize her needs. She worked to ensure all of her pain was managed as soon as she noticed my grandma showed signs of even a slight bit of discomfort. She watched her carefully for nonverbal cues and was extremely patient with her. She checked in with us to see if we had all of our questions answered by social workers and if there was anyone else that she could call to get our family needs met. She worked to understand my grandma and the different warning signs she would show us that she was no longer comfortable or was having a problem. Although she wasn’t speaking and was in a vegetative and unaware state, she spoke to my grandma directly and told her exactly what would be happening during exams, while giving her IVs and medications, even if my grandma was not able to understand. She attempted to feed her even though my grandma was very reluctant to eat and got more food in her than our family members were able to through her kind words of encouragement and persistence. She made our family feel relieved and comfortable leaving to eat and care for ourselves, which was amazing. She deserves so much appreciation for going above and beyond. I have met many nurses who have worked with our family members, but not a single one was nearly as kind and patient as Nicole N! Thank you, Nicole!