I absolutely ADORE
Patience. It's one of my favorite names.
Prudence and
Constance just sound too old-fashioned to me, though I think
Temperance sounds nice enough to make a comeback.
As far as nicknames go, I've never been a fan of them, and I myself would much rather let the names stay unadulterated in their full form. So, sorry I'm not much help there. :)