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Nicole Durden-Mundy, RN, Charge Nurse, Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU), recently received her second DAISY Award. Nicole’s most recent nomination details how she expertly navigated — clinically and emotionally — through a parent’s worst nightmare. Read the full nomination below.

“Nicole is one of the most knowledgeable and caring nurses that I have ever worked alongside. To say she goes above and beyond for her patients and coworkers is an understatement. I could name multiple instances where I watched her excel, both at the bedside and as a charge nurse, but one night in particular stands out.

“We had a set of twins in the NICU who got very sick, very quickly. Nicole was the charge nurse that night and was there the second we called for extra help and never left their bedsides. She was present for every procedure, line placement and lab result, giving suggestions to the LIPs [licensed independent practitioner] on what we could do next to help these babies survive. When the parents arrived, she sat down with them and walked them through every single thing we were doing for their babies. She gave updates in real time, explaining everything from why we were intubating, what the blood gas results meant, and what medications we were trying. Nicole did not hide anything from this family.

“From the beginning of the night, she was very upfront and honest about how sick they really were. She delivered bad news with such grace and gentleness. I heard her say multiple times, ‘I'm not trying to scare you, I just want you to have the full picture about what is going on with your babies.’

“By the end of the first night, the decision was made to redirect care on one of the twins. The following night, a little after 14 hours later, the decision was made to redirect care on the second twin as well. I believe the parents were able to make that extremely devastating decision due to the knowledge, explanations, and support that Nicole gave to them throughout it all. Once the decision was made to redirect care, Nicole navigated the babies' transition to comfort care. She directed all of the medical staff, so that we could make the process as seamless as possible for the family. Due to Nicole's strong advocacy, the parents were able to hold their babies while they were still alive.

“Nicole established such good rapport with this family. I saw the way that the parents were able to find comfort with her presence because they knew they would be receiving her expert and compassionate care and guidance. She was in the room with them when the breathing tubes were pulled, and she listened for a heartbeat because the mother asked her to. The parents were thankful towards Nicole and the rest of the staff because they knew we did absolutely everything we could for their babies.

“Nicole was also incredibly supportive and helpful to all the nurses during these two shifts. She was present for anything we needed, whether it be a hug, a kind word, or a suggestion on how to help with bereavement care. It takes a very strong, empathetic person to be able to support her staff while also dealing with her own emotions about this devastating loss. She allowed us to be sad but was also reassuring that we did everything we could have done.

“There is so much that I could say about those two shifts and what Nicole did for the family and her team. I'm so grateful that she was working because she truly carried us all through an incredibly difficult few nights.”

Nomination edited for clarity.

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The Nursing Professional Governance Organization honors up to two UVA RNs each month with a DAISY Award. Nominations may be submitted by patients, patient families, visitors, and fellow UVA team members. Learn more at uvadaisy.com.