Recently, Nicole was working a weekend ER shift and was caring for a young child with respiratory issues. Nicole quickly identified that the patient would most likely need transfer to a higher level of care. This was going to be a large burden for the mother, as they had recently moved to town with no other family support in the area, had another small child with her, and her husband had military commitments away from home, preparing for an upcoming deployment.

The mother was tearful and very concerned about how she was going to manage the situation. As Nicole was nearing the end of her 12-hour shift, she could see how difficult the situation was for this family and had established a close connection with them. Nicole then offered to stay with the child and ride in the ambulance to the larger hospital to help the family. The patient’s mother was extremely grateful. Nicole did this after her shift was over and on her own time.

This demonstrates the care, compassion, and empathy that Nicole shows every day towards her patients and families. Nicole went above and beyond the call of duty for this family to make a very stressful, unexpected medical situation a little less stressful. Mitchell County Regional Health Center is very fortunate to have Nicole’s nursing care and expertise.