Erin was a nurse who worked on the floor while I was in the hospital. She was not my assigned nurse, but I first met Erin the first time when she came to check on me during a call bell. That was on my first day in the hospital...the most awkward day, where I did not know what this whole journey would lead to, where I was not in control of anything, outside of my comfort zone, away from friends and family. Erin came back in throughout the day, checking to see how I was doing, I thought I had hit the call bell by accident, but no, it was just Erin checking in on me.

Now it is day 5 in the hospital and Erin has not once been my assigned nurse, but she continues to come in and check on me. Not just check on me, but she has taken the time to SIT DOWN and talk with me. There was no time schedule or other reason -- she wasn't taking my vitals, doing an assessment, passing medication, checking my I's and O's...she was interested in just me. These little moments made me feel like more than a patient. More than just part of a schedule, more than the female in room 35, more than rounds with the doctors...I was an important person.

Thank you Erin, for taking that time. Nursing encompasses so much more than we give it credit for. I read a quote once that said, "No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care." Erin showed me this. All the doctors can know all the information, but you need more than medicine, incentive spirometers, creams and physical therapy, you need to be acknowledged as a human with a past, present and future. Erin...from one nurse to another (and probably one of the most critical and toughest patients)...thank you for reminding me the foundation of nursing and why I am in this career.