She is a full-time occupational therapist at Spaulding Hospital for Continuing Medical care in Cambridge, MA. Her experience is focused on caring for patients requiring mechanical ventilation, left-ventricular assist devices, and complex medical needs. In addition, she is competent in disorders of consciousness (DoC) care.

Nicole supplements her clinical work by serving as a Level I and Level II fieldwork supervisor,  lab instructor at MGH Institute of Health Professions and Salem State University, and guest lecturer for multiple undergraduate and graduate occupational therapy programs. 

 Mrs. Sally Gray came into my life as a patient as SHC. Before I go further into her story, I want to confirm that her family did give me permission to share these photos and her journey.  As you can see, Sally came to Spaulding on a ventilator. She had been receiving treatment for lung cancer, and had a rare reaction to the medications that caused full paralysis- when she first came to us we had to tape her eyes open just so she could see. Despite everything she had been through, this woman made me laugh every day with her sass and wit. After a few months of rehab, she was able to move and participate more- as a new therapist all I saw was progress. 

Then one day, she told me she was done fighting and to be honest I was shocked. I found out that the cancer doctor had told her they couldn’t treat the cancer until she was off the ventilator, and the lung doctors said she couldn’t come off the ventilator until they treated the cancer. In other words she was out of options. She did not want to live this way, this was not a quality life in her eyes. 

After meeting with her family to confirm her feelings and choices, I was amazed how incredibly supportive her family was. I realized that despite knowing that Sally was going to die, we could make her last weeks meaningful. I truly recognized a unique role of OT in end-of-life- we were able to bring her outside in the beautiful September weather, set-up a date with her husband in the courtyard, and found a way for her to have a glass of wine with her children and other family members. In a way, we found the beauty in dying. And Sally's Journey is what inspired my project.​