Nicole Fara Sartor, NP

For nearly 25 years, I have provided palliative care to children with medical complexity (CMC) who are living with serious or chronic illness. I help families develop care plans with their child’s care team. These care plans reflect their goals and address their concerns that may change over time.

As an undergraduate student nurse, I had an especially meaningful encounter with a patient who had cancer, which motivated me to devote my career to caring for people with serious illnesses.

I am a board-certified advanced practice registered nurse who specializes in pediatric palliative care. I focus on children with serious neurologic impairments. I help families coordinate their child’s care, transition between their home and the hospital, plan for the future, make medical decisions and manage difficult-to-control symptoms.

I am the program director of the Ward Winslett Center for Complex and Rare Diseases at Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital.

I received a Nursing Recognition Award for Excellence in Pediatric Palliative Care Nursing from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, where I was a founder of the pediatric palliative care team. I have been a Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association leadership scholar and a Duke University Johnson & Johnson Nurse Leadership Fellow. I am a Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association Fellow in Palliative Care Nursing.

I received my master of science degree in nursing at Stony Brook University and my Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) at the Medical University of South Carolina.

I am married to a pediatric palliative and hospice care chaplain, and our blended family includes four children and two grandchildren between us. Away from work, I love to travel and explore the beauty of new places, people, cuisines and cultures.