May 2022
Nikki
Koruna
,
RN
NICU
The Hospital for Sick Children
Toronto
,
Ontario
Canada
Nikki was always thinking ahead about what the next step was in L’s development to support his healing and wellbeing. She also told us about a lot of the services and supports available at the hospital, helping us become better advocates for L.
Nikki is an absolutely phenomenal nurse. She supported our whole family during our 8 weeks in the NICU by going above and beyond in ways we hadn’t even thought of or knew we needed. We arrived at Sickkids with 4 day old baby L who had an unsuccessful surgery attempt in Winnipeg to remove a teratoma. He was very sick, and as parents, all we could do is sit beside L and watch as the amazing NICU team worked hard to save his life. Nikki was one of the first nurses we had in those early days. She interacted with L immediately with such affection, empathy, and care. She showed us how to do the same, getting us to help with diaper changes, wiping his face, and giving him OIT. She asked questions about our family, remembered details and checked in on her next shifts. All these small, compassionate gestures take extra time but mean so much to us. L had a successful surgery to remove his tumour a week later.
Whenever we had Nikki as our nurse, she continued to teach us new, small ways we could care for L. For example, she showed us many ways we could soothe him, even though we couldn’t hold him yet. As the weeks passed, I spent a lot of time standing and staring at L in his isolette. Nikki would stand beside me and encourage me to think about the next milestones we could start planning for - being able to hold L, starting to feed, and graduating to a crib. Many of these milestones ended up being accomplished with Nikki as our nurse. She would always share her goals for L with us at the beginning of her shifts. These included everything from alerting the doctors to a change she had noticed with L; requesting music therapy, occupational therapy, lactation consultants, and moving L into his first crib! Nikki was always thinking ahead about what the next step was in L’s development to support his healing and wellbeing. She also told us about a lot of the services and supports available at the hospital, helping us become better advocates for L. Towards the end of our time in the NICU, Nikki made it her mission to get L to smile for her. She says she wasn’t successful, but sure enough, one morning I arrived in the NICU after L had a night shift with Nikki and L greeted me with a big smile.
Today L is at home - he still has a long road ahead of him but he has come such a long way. Thank you, Nikki, for everything you have done to get us here. We will never forget how much you have helped our family with your compassionate, patient-centred care.
Whenever we had Nikki as our nurse, she continued to teach us new, small ways we could care for L. For example, she showed us many ways we could soothe him, even though we couldn’t hold him yet. As the weeks passed, I spent a lot of time standing and staring at L in his isolette. Nikki would stand beside me and encourage me to think about the next milestones we could start planning for - being able to hold L, starting to feed, and graduating to a crib. Many of these milestones ended up being accomplished with Nikki as our nurse. She would always share her goals for L with us at the beginning of her shifts. These included everything from alerting the doctors to a change she had noticed with L; requesting music therapy, occupational therapy, lactation consultants, and moving L into his first crib! Nikki was always thinking ahead about what the next step was in L’s development to support his healing and wellbeing. She also told us about a lot of the services and supports available at the hospital, helping us become better advocates for L. Towards the end of our time in the NICU, Nikki made it her mission to get L to smile for her. She says she wasn’t successful, but sure enough, one morning I arrived in the NICU after L had a night shift with Nikki and L greeted me with a big smile.
Today L is at home - he still has a long road ahead of him but he has come such a long way. Thank you, Nikki, for everything you have done to get us here. We will never forget how much you have helped our family with your compassionate, patient-centred care.