In the course of 15 surgeries and several extended hospitalizations, I have interacted with and been treated by many, many nurses, and Erica stands above them all for her level of personal empathy. Below are a few other examples of her extraordinary care for our mother:

Erica took care of our mother in the ICU. Erica provided exceptional personal attention to our mother in the ICU. Erica’s level of compassion for our dying mother is something for which we will forever be grateful. When she was moved to a hospital room and switched to in-hospital hospice care, Erica personally got her ready and pushed her bed through the halls to her new room. Then, she continued to visit during breaks when our Mother was no longer her assigned patient. On one of those visits, Erica noticed that our mother was cold. The next thing we knew, a lovely warm fleece blanket appeared. Erica always put our mother’s well-being first and foremost, giving her agency in every care decision. In doing so, she developed an extraordinary level of personal rapport, not only with our mother but also with our whole family.

During an extremely sensitive time, Erica calmly and articulately explained every care option, making our decision-making both informed and confident. In short, within a few days, Erica’s thoughtfulness and attentiveness made her feel more like a member of our family than simply our mother’s nurse.