Erin is the kind of nurse that you want to have taking care of you regardless of your clinical situation. She is excellent in critical situations and has a wealth of knowledge that she shares with family members. Family members frequently request Erin to care for their loved ones. For example, last week she was caring for a patient who had a disability, was end stage, and was dying. The patient was young and parents were deceased. Care was given by the sister, who had severe health concerns of her own. This patient’s sister held vigil by the bedside, could require a great deal of emotional support, and be somewhat difficult due to her own issues and the loss of control over her brother’s care. The sister could not discuss end of life issues and it was apparent that this patient needed this type of care. Because of the bond that Erin formed with this sister, she trusted Erin and Erin was able to help this sister make a very difficult decision which allowed her brother to have a very dignified death.
In another situation, ERin was mentioned by name in a letter from a family member talking about the wonderful care that their loved one received. This grateful loved one had this to say about Erin……”so willing to explain and be helpful as well as compassionate”……. In both situations, Erin was genuinely being who she is and she showed great care and compassion for not only her patients and their family members, she also showed great care for her co-workers as each of these situations were extremely difficult. Erin’s ability to remain patient, compassionate, and empathetic helped make it a better situation for everyone involved in caring for these patients.