Erica Boardman
May 2023
Erica
Boardman
,
RN
Cardiac Step Down
Bayfront Health St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg
,
FL
United States

 

 

 

My dad had so much confidence in his nurse that it made me feel better whenever I had to leave him.
My dad can be a very difficult and stubborn patient. Sometimes being in the hospital makes these characteristics more prominent. Nurse Erica has been such a blessing to my family during his stay at the hospital. He was initially admitted to the ICU after being transferred from another hospital's ED bringing on a lot of worry and stress to my mom and family. I was not here when my dad was transferred to the Cardiac Step Down Unit, but when I came up later that night, my dad asked me to get Erica. He was unaware that shift change had happened and Erica had gone home but he said to me "If you ask Erica, she will know." He had so much confidence in his nurse that it made me feel better whenever I had to leave him. He also told me that Erica was teaching students, and he could tell she was a good teacher. When I met Erica, I could tell why my dad liked her. She was straightforward but also kind in her tone. She was very approachable and never made us feel like she was too busy to talk to us. Even when things were out of her control, she kept us updated as best she could. My dad knew that if he told or asked Erica something, it wouldn't be forgotten. He even told other staff to "ask Erica" a couple of times. She took care of him for 3 days towards the end of his hospital stay. Unfortunately, this will not be my dad's last time in the hospital. I can only hope that all the nurses we encounter are like Erica.