This is my theoretical nidalee build ,im working on getting the runes.
at the moment i mean nidalee, my current rune set is made up of:
Mpen reds
Mana per 5 per lvl yellows
5 Flat ap blues
4 ap per level blues
3 Flat Ap quints

ATM i take out the 9 in defense for 9 in offensive for extra spell pen, i feel that this is better if you DONT have dodge runes, imo nimbleness doesn't proc enough without dodge runes to make it worth picking up as nidalee over the spell pen , which helps both your spears and your cougar attacks.

Pros:
It requires 2 or 3 people to kill you
once you buy guardian angel the enemy has to be 30+ kills to get you.
Get newbz to 1/2 hp from long range using ur spears
kill other newbz thinking they are safe recalling @ their turret
Heal like a boss.
1/2 hp an enemy or 2 then heal in team fights ftw
you are hard to catch
decent map awareness using traps
Cons:
u suck 1v1
often mana starved
magic resist makes you be basically just a healer
the enemies get extra gold when they kill you because you are "godlike"
you spend alot of time running

Generally maxing heal first is the best idea but it comes down to key factors:
can your enemy laners do much harass?
are you solo?
if not solo , would your friendly laner need heals?
can your lane partner heal you/them self?

flash and ghost.
hands down best combo as nidalee
if anything replace ghost with exhaust but i dont recommend it