Nicholas
Caputo
April 2026
Nicholas
Caputo
Saint Anselm College
Manchester
,
NH
United States
Without Nick’s persistence and willingness to speak up, the outcome could have been devastating.
It is my privilege to nominate Nick Caputo for the DAISY Award in recognition of the compassion, courage, and patient advocacy he demonstrated during his emergency department preceptorship.
During his rotation in the ED, Nick cared for a patient who presented multiple times over several days with a persistent headache and hypertension. On her first visit, she received a cardiac workup that was negative and was discharged on beta blockers with instructions to follow up with her primary care provider. Two days later, she returned with the same complaints and was again treated and released.
On her third visit in five days, Nick once again assumed her care. By this time, he had taken the opportunity to truly know her. She was a woman in her 40s with no significant past medical history and a young family at home. He built rapport with her and began to see beyond the presenting symptoms. Despite additional blood pressure medications, her hypertension remained resistant. Her labs and EKG were again unremarkable, and the plan was to discharge her once more.
Nick felt something was not right.
Rather than dismissing his intuition as “just a student,” he paused, reflected, and discussed his concerns with his preceptor. With encouragement, he gathered the courage to approach the provider and advocate for further evaluation. He respectfully voiced his discomfort with sending this patient home again, emphasizing her persistent symptoms and lack of response to treatment.
As a result of Nick’s advocacy, a CT scan was ordered, revealing an aortic dissection. This patient was immediately transferred to Tufts Medical Center for a higher level of care.
Without Nick’s persistence and willingness to speak up, the outcome could have been devastating.
What makes this moment remarkable is not just the diagnosis. It is the character behind the action. Nick demonstrated clinical curiosity, critical thinking, moral courage, and unwavering patient advocacy. He did not allow hierarchy or self-doubt to stop him from having a difficult conversation with the provider. He prioritized his patient’s safety over his own comfort.
As nurses, we teach students to trust their assessment, to advocate, and to put patients first. Nick embodied all of those principles before even graduating. His actions may very well have saved this woman’s life and ensured she returned home to her family.
That is the essence of the DAISY Award.
Nick is not only an exceptional student nurse. He is already practicing as the kind of nurse every patient deserves.
During his rotation in the ED, Nick cared for a patient who presented multiple times over several days with a persistent headache and hypertension. On her first visit, she received a cardiac workup that was negative and was discharged on beta blockers with instructions to follow up with her primary care provider. Two days later, she returned with the same complaints and was again treated and released.
On her third visit in five days, Nick once again assumed her care. By this time, he had taken the opportunity to truly know her. She was a woman in her 40s with no significant past medical history and a young family at home. He built rapport with her and began to see beyond the presenting symptoms. Despite additional blood pressure medications, her hypertension remained resistant. Her labs and EKG were again unremarkable, and the plan was to discharge her once more.
Nick felt something was not right.
Rather than dismissing his intuition as “just a student,” he paused, reflected, and discussed his concerns with his preceptor. With encouragement, he gathered the courage to approach the provider and advocate for further evaluation. He respectfully voiced his discomfort with sending this patient home again, emphasizing her persistent symptoms and lack of response to treatment.
As a result of Nick’s advocacy, a CT scan was ordered, revealing an aortic dissection. This patient was immediately transferred to Tufts Medical Center for a higher level of care.
Without Nick’s persistence and willingness to speak up, the outcome could have been devastating.
What makes this moment remarkable is not just the diagnosis. It is the character behind the action. Nick demonstrated clinical curiosity, critical thinking, moral courage, and unwavering patient advocacy. He did not allow hierarchy or self-doubt to stop him from having a difficult conversation with the provider. He prioritized his patient’s safety over his own comfort.
As nurses, we teach students to trust their assessment, to advocate, and to put patients first. Nick embodied all of those principles before even graduating. His actions may very well have saved this woman’s life and ensured she returned home to her family.
That is the essence of the DAISY Award.
Nick is not only an exceptional student nurse. He is already practicing as the kind of nurse every patient deserves.