I am nominating Nicole for a DAISY Award to remind her to never forget the impact she has made on families and her fellow nurses. She shows up no matter how hard it may be to put her own feelings aside. She shows up even if she may not know all the answers. One situation in particular was a recent death of a baby.

The baby had not been doing well for several nights, and she stayed in the hallway to offer support to the bedside nurse. As an educator, she taught the nurses in orientation the different dynamics that were happening at the bedside. This allowed the nurse to close the door and provide a private space for the mother to remain at the bedside without being interrupted. Nicole provided suggestions of comfort to aid the mother while she waited for the baby's dad to arrive from out of state.

After the baby passed away, Nicole came to the unit and found the bedside nurse caring for the family and the baby. She provided support to the nurse, allowing her to grieve, and she didn't leave her side. She anchored that nurse so that the mother and father had a strong team, giving them every opportunity to provide love and move through their own grief with their baby. Nicole helped the nurses and the mother bathe the baby by holding her while mom washed her hair and dressed her in the only baby gown the baby would ever wear. Nicole provided options for the family to choose from and allowed for their own way to spend time in those final moments in her room.

Nicole also helped the nurses assigned to the family make crafts and mementos for the family to remember their baby by. The printer was not working, and Nicole dedicated her time to resolving the issue and attempting to print the pictures for the family to have. So again, this is to recognize Nicole's continued passion and strength, which she provides to these babies and their families both personally and through the support of other fellow nurses by providing empowerment, empathy, and knowledge. There is no step-by-step guide to death and bereavement. They did not teach us in nursing school how to care not only for the patient but also for the family, and Nicole has been a role model of that, as well as others on the unit.