My mother was admitted to the ICU/transferred to the CCU with a GI bleed. Nicole was her nurse for the majority of the time and in mine and my family's opinion went above and beyond her duties.
As you know there is no Intensivist in the CCU so the nurses are especially important to notice any issues and notify the MDs. Nicole kept up with my mother's every vital sign; she was able to tell you minute-to-minute what was going on at every juncture. Nicole was able to address our questions and concern with professionalism and accuracy. At one point, when she noticed that the bleeds occurred at a certain time of day, she did research on her own to investigate if there were any meds taken at a specific time that would coincide with the bleeding—there wasn't. The fact that she cared enough to do this research speaks volumes.
She was professional, yet friendly. Everyone who visited remarked on her attentiveness and work ethic. All the nurses were excellent, but Nicole was exceptional. We felt completely safe in her hands. She explained everything she was doing before we had time to ask. She anticipated my mom's needs and was decisive and inspired confidence in us all. We almost lost my mom and I do believe that she was instrumental in aiding in my mom's recovery.