September 2021
Erin L
Forster
,
RN
Neo-Natal ICU Unit
Kaiser Permanente Zion Medical Center
San Diego
,
CA
United States

 

 

 

Erin gave us kindness and warmth when we were dealing with some of the most difficult emotions we've ever had to process.
My wife and I have been on a journey to parenthood for several years, and it hasn't been easy to get to where we are. It has been a long, but positive, experience as Kaiser patients where we've worked with countless doctors and nurses, all the way from the beginning of this journey to receiving fertility treatments, outpatient visits with perinatology, a 2-month stay in the hospital in the Antepartum unit, a one week stay in postpartum, and most recently a stay in the NICU. All of the medical staff we've worked with have been amazing, but there's one Nurse that stands out as being truly extraordinary and compassionate in helping our family prepare for the next chapter of our lives.

Erin has provided our family with exemplary care from the beginning days after giving birth via C-section to beautiful twin girls. When they were born it was the most amazing experience of our lives, filled with joy, happiness, and excitement. However, on that same day, when we walked into the NICU for the first time, it was also a day of terrifying and strange experiences. Erin was one of our first nurses in the NICU and greeted these tired, physically, and emotionally worn-out new parents with both empathy and professionalism. She explained the noises, the wires, and the tubes from the machines, to make us feel at ease. She set us up with pillows and chairs so we could hold our babies for the first time. She reassured us that we're doing a good job in caring for their little bodies. She brought us friendship and stories of her family and of her own twin boys when we needed time to talk about anything else besides the NICU. She gave us kindness and warmth when we were dealing with some of the most difficult emotions we've ever had to process. When we had to leave for the night to sleep, she filled us with the trust of knowing that she was keeping our little girls safe and filled with love in our absence.

Undoubtedly Erin is an amazing nurse, one deserving of praise and recognition for the level of care that she provides to her infant patients and for providing an environment where families can feel supported and educated in caring for their new babies.