My mother in law was admitted to the Cherry Hill Emergency room with the diagnosis of Pneumonia, her nurse was Erica Ceron and this is her story. Erica came and introduced herself to a room full of our family members. After a discussion with Erica and the doctor, it was decided that H would be admitted and go on comfort care. The Emergency Department was extremely busy, and yet Erica made it a point to come into the room often and discuss with us what was being done and why putting the family at ease. During her shift Erica was empathetic, sympathetic, professional, and most importantly caring and courteous. Her concern for our family was apparent. As a family we felt connected to her immediately, Erica said she did not want to leave our family until the very end.
When H passed, the family grieved and hugged each other along with Erica who was brought into our family circle. My family was so touched by her kindness, understanding, and overall concern for all of us that we wanted to do something for her just as she had done for us, you see, she left a lasting impression.
You should be very proud of this young lady, as I was also impressed with her commitment to excellent patient care, creating an atmosphere of family-centered care. She exhibited what a nurse truly is, not only a bedside nurse but a professional nurse who cares about what she does for patients and families alike. I don't take this award lightly, but Erica is truly worthy of this extraordinary award. As a nurse manager, this is the quality of nursing I look for in my nurses. When I look at our values at Jefferson, Erica embraces it all.