Nana Kikoria, BSN, RN
Nana Kikoria, BSN, RN
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Staff Nurse, Labor and Delivery
NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health
Empathy, patience and a caring nature are what drew Nana Kikoria into the nursing profession, and these are the personal strengths that she draws upon as a Labor and Delivery Staff Nurse at NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health.
“I show empathy to each patient, making an effort to put myself in their ‘shoes’ and treating them as I would like to be treated and letting their voices be heard,” Kikoria explains. “I know my patients the best, as I spend the most time interacting with them. I focus on a person-centered care approach because that is what will make a difference in my patients’ experiences, the individualized care that I provide in my everyday practice.”
Kikoria says she was inspired to embark upon her eight-year nursing career by her godmother. “She was an amazing nurse, and seeing the satisfaction she felt every day by doing her job is what inspired my interest in the field,” she relates. “From that time, I knew for sure what I wanted to do with my life.
“I always hear Maya Angelou’s voice in my ears saying, ‘Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better,’” she continued. “I chose nursing because I have always enjoyed helping people. Knowing that my care, touch, voice and time can make a difference in someone’s life is one of the most rewarding feelings in the whole world.”
Kikoria says she values her relationship with her patients and their families. “I love seeing the excitement and joy on family’s faces when they first meet their newborns,” she points out. “Every delivery is a great celebration of life. Patients will always remember your warm smile, your gentle touch, the knowledge you shared, and the fact that you cared for them. Every time parents recognize me or introduce me to their family by saying, ‘This is the nurse who took excellent care of me and my newborn,’ it makes me proud be the nurse I am today.”
NYC Health + Hospitals ICARE values are an important foundation of Kikoria’s nursing practice. “The ICARE values define who we are as NYC Health + Hospitals employees and what we stand for,” she explains. “I think everything starts with compassion: when you show patients you care about them and what they’re going through, they are more likely to listen, engage with, and open up to you.”
“Evidence says that compassionate care can lead to patients having shorter hospital stays, improved outlooks, and even less pain and anxiety,” she continues “I’m very proud of my profession – it can be physically and emotionally demanding at times, however at the end of the day, you feel amazing satisfaction and pride. Being the one who helps those in need is unlike any other profession.”
Looking to the future, Kikoria sees technology playing an increasingly-important role. “As nurses, we have shown throughout history that our profession can rise to the occasion and adapt to patients’ changing needs,” she comments. “We should embrace disruption and change, using it to build the future we desire as a profession. The future of health care will be driven by technology-enhanced care. We need to accept new concepts of work to support the continued evolution of our profession, and as nurses, our role is to assure that voices of individuals, families and communities are incorporated into the design and operations of our new health care systems.”