Thrive by IU Health

June 20, 2024

Paoli DAISY helps with a lot of heart

IU Health Paoli Hospital

Paoli DAISY helps with a lot of heart

Healers can be found around the world, helping others both inside and outside of hospital walls. While many individuals think of medicine or surgery when picturing healthcare workers, sometimes the best support they can give comes from their hearts.

Nicole Webb, RN, MSN, CEN
Nicole Webb, RN, MSN, CEN, with IU Health Paoli shows her DAISY Award certificate and statue.

Nicole Webb, RN, MSN, CEN, started her healthcare journey as an active-duty combat medic in the United States Army in 1990.

First stationed in Germany with the 31st Combat Support Hospital, her unit was deployed to Desert Shield and Desert Storm, where she primarily worked in the Emergency Room, triaging and caring for soldiers and prisoners of war.

“Many of the critically wounded soldiers were young, alone, scared and several dying without any of their loved ones by their side or even having the ability to talk to loved ones,” says Webb. “I spent many hours comforting soldiers, holding their hands and praying with them.”

That’s where she found her passion for caring for others in their time of need. After the military, she used her veteran benefits to finish nursing school.

Her history with IU Health stretches over a decade at Bloomington and Bedford, and Webb currently works at the IU Health Paoli Emergency department.

“I have been working in healthcare for 34 years, and what keeps me driven and passionate is that every moment, I have an opportunity to make a positive difference in a person’s life,” says Webb. “Never miss a chance; it is the most rewarding feeling ever.”

That determination earned her the DAISY Award, and the nomination itself came from a family that experienced Webb’s dedication.

In their letter, a loved one recounts how comforting the Paoli team, and Webb in particular, was when their loved one had passed away.

The nominator met Webb at the entrance to the Emergency department and took them back to where their family had gathered by the patient’s bedside. For the two hours they were there, Webb was by the family’s side:

“I felt her presence, and I saw her come and go with my family. When it was finally time for us to leave, she stood beside the bed patiently. As I knelt in prayer and sobbed at the bedside, I knew she was standing over me. I am sure Nichole, like all your emergency staff, has to be in situations like this more than any of us can imagine, but I just know that I felt her presence.”

Webb’s calling is to help others, even in instances like this when the only support she can give is that of her compassionate heart.

“Patients and families may be experiencing the worst or best day of their lives,” says Webb. “You are their person. You are the person they trust and look to for answers, help, explanations, love, kindness, forgiveness and most importantly, compassion.”