On 2 South we often have the privilege of caring for patients for an extended period (comes with the territory for some of our stepdown patients). On this day, Nick was caring for a patient who had been in the hospital for 73 days. It had been a long and hard journey for the patient and their family, and there were a lot of fears and emotions around this patient very slowly transitioning to comfort care. The patient’s family spoke primarily Spanish, and they had developed a relationship with Nick. Nick noticed a new picture of the patient and he commented to the patient’s father that “Mr. L's” haircut was very similar to Nick's, and was shorter in the picture, before the patient’s lengthy hospitalization. The following day, Nick cut the patient’s hair to look like it did prior to him being in the hospital. This act of kindness made Mr. L's father and mother so happy! His father told me with pride when I saw Mr. L that he looked like he did before the hospital!

Sometimes, in nursing, it’s the small things, the small extra acts of kindness that make the biggest difference and matter the most. On this day, and every day, Nick strives to give this kind of care and make this kind of difference, both for his patients, his families, and for his coworkers (he is an amazing team player). 2 South is so lucky to work with Nick!