Erin Leininger
March 2021
Erin
Leininger
,
RN, BSN, RNC
NICU Level 2
Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center
Denver
,
CO
United States
For Halloween, Erin arranged for her family and friends to crochet Halloween costumes, so each baby had their own for the Halloween pictures.
Erin goes above and beyond each and every day not only as a bedside nurse, but as a charge nurse and unit scheduler. One of our strongest clinical nurses, Erin also provides mentoring and education to our newer staff on the night shift. But most of all, Erin touches our NICU families in a very special way. What sets Erin apart is her commitment to our families. For many years, Erin has taken holiday pictures and made heartfelt mementos for our parents at each holiday they cannot have their baby at home. At Thanksgiving, she makes turkeys out of their tiny handprints and leaves them at the bedside for the parents. At Easter, she photographs them as bunnies with Easter eggs and makes a memento for the families. At Mother’s day, a gift as well. She never misses a single holiday and is so cautious and culturally respectful.
Recently, a long-term patient in the NICU had Harry Potter decorations in his room here at RMHC. His parents shared that his empty nursery at home was Harry Potter themed. A Harry Potter fan herself, and knowing he was still far from discharge, Erin brought in her own Harry Potter items from home and photographed him as Harry – complete with the scar! She then made him a Harry Potter sign with his photographs. This gesture meant so much to the family and a keepsake they would have forever. Not associated with a holiday, she did this to help comfort them as they went home to an empty nursery.
For Halloween, Erin arranged for her family and friends to crochet Halloween costumes, so each baby had their own for the Halloween pictures. A mermaid, a turtle, a puppy, Snow White, and more. Erin worked closely with marketing to get these adorable pictures up on social media, which thrilled our families. Even more exciting for the families when it appeared on the news. Not only did Erin reach out to each family to gain consent, but she also came in on her night off to photograph them and reached out to her co-workers to come to her house and help her put them together on their night off. Erin provides these gifts year round for all of our families who would like one.
Erin is also very involved with the annual Adopt-a-Family and spends hours collecting, shopping for, and wrapping gifts. Again, she rallies staff to contribute, wraps gifts with co-workers at her house (pre-COVID) and then helps to organize the party. Erin also does our night shift schedule and structured it so those who wanted to attend the hospital party for the families knew in advance and could attend. This year, Erin shared a photo of her spare bedroom at home that was filled with gifts ahead of the Adopt-a-Family. She shared that she had been purchasing gifts for Adopt-a-Family with her stimulus check for the last several months. Erin is perhaps one of the most thoughtful people I know. She is an exceptional nurse, a strong team player, and such an advocate for our families. Her wonderful, treasured mementos have brought families to tears and have been held by them as priceless treasures of a holiday missed with their new baby. She has made such a difference to so many families.
Recently, a long-term patient in the NICU had Harry Potter decorations in his room here at RMHC. His parents shared that his empty nursery at home was Harry Potter themed. A Harry Potter fan herself, and knowing he was still far from discharge, Erin brought in her own Harry Potter items from home and photographed him as Harry – complete with the scar! She then made him a Harry Potter sign with his photographs. This gesture meant so much to the family and a keepsake they would have forever. Not associated with a holiday, she did this to help comfort them as they went home to an empty nursery.
For Halloween, Erin arranged for her family and friends to crochet Halloween costumes, so each baby had their own for the Halloween pictures. A mermaid, a turtle, a puppy, Snow White, and more. Erin worked closely with marketing to get these adorable pictures up on social media, which thrilled our families. Even more exciting for the families when it appeared on the news. Not only did Erin reach out to each family to gain consent, but she also came in on her night off to photograph them and reached out to her co-workers to come to her house and help her put them together on their night off. Erin provides these gifts year round for all of our families who would like one.
Erin is also very involved with the annual Adopt-a-Family and spends hours collecting, shopping for, and wrapping gifts. Again, she rallies staff to contribute, wraps gifts with co-workers at her house (pre-COVID) and then helps to organize the party. Erin also does our night shift schedule and structured it so those who wanted to attend the hospital party for the families knew in advance and could attend. This year, Erin shared a photo of her spare bedroom at home that was filled with gifts ahead of the Adopt-a-Family. She shared that she had been purchasing gifts for Adopt-a-Family with her stimulus check for the last several months. Erin is perhaps one of the most thoughtful people I know. She is an exceptional nurse, a strong team player, and such an advocate for our families. Her wonderful, treasured mementos have brought families to tears and have been held by them as priceless treasures of a holiday missed with their new baby. She has made such a difference to so many families.