Erin Laferriere, RN receives Lowell General Hospital’s DAISY Award® for Extraordinary Nurses

This excerpt was taken from Hospital news.

Lowell General Hospital has partnered with the DAISY Foundation to bring a meaningful way for anyone in our community to publicly recognize our nurses. Each month, one nominee receives this award to celebrate the compassionate and extraordinary care that they provide to patients and families.

DAISY Award Nomination for Erin Laferriere, RN, ICU-G

“A message came through on my phone saying my friend had a severe asthma attack and went into cardiac arrest. I went straight to Lowell General, and everything from that point on got very real. The heartache we were about to face is indescribable.

We have a large, close-knit group of friends of 35 years who all started to arrive at the hospital. When I entered my friend’s room, I was first introduced to Erin, the RN, and Lisa, the NP. From the moment we met them, it felt like they became our pillars of strength. A critical piece that none of us realized we so desperately needed as we held each other up, crying and still in disbelief.

Erin was orienting a student and introduced herself to all of us. Her eye contact made us feel valued, her compassion made us feel secure, and her professionalism made us feel confident she was going to do everything in her power to help save our dear friend.

Erin provided 1:1 care for the next 12 hours, in addition to being charge nurse for the whole unit. Even with all her competing demands, Erin was so attentive to my friend’s needs in her critical state. She consistently explained everything she was doing, how long it would take, and made sure to let us know the minute we could return to my friend’s bedside.

Erin showed incredible patience with the large number of us as we asked questions and looked for answers she knew she couldn’t give us. As a nurse myself, this was the piece that I will never forget. It was the first time I had a front-row seat to critical care nursing – now on the opposite side as a distraught friend of a critically ill patient. Erin answered every question we had with patience, professionalism, and even a semblance of hope, which we all needed in our shocked state.

Family members and friends of the patient attended Erin’s DAISY Award celebration.

Erin has remarkable emotional intelligence. She was constantly feeding off our cues. She could read the room and recognized how she could share factual updates with some of us, especially those in healthcare, while considering the emotions of my friend’s parents and their inability to accept the inevitable. I could tell Erin had done this countless times as a critical care nurse, and her experience in these situations made her more sensitive to us as concerned family and friends. She never once made us feel as if a question or a concern was not necessary. She never rushed us or made us feel like our questions were irrelevant. She was consistently present, all day long. The whole team was so present and the communication was excellent.

We all knew with 100% confidence that everything that could be done for our friend was being done. What was most reassuring was that I knew early on Lowell General had all their bases covered. To say I was impressed is an understatement. The whole team was beyond accommodating, even in the first 24 hours of my friend’s critical state and need for constant care.

The setup of the ICU was unique, with the waiting rooms for families right outside the patient rooms. I had never seen this before, and it felt so much more inviting and made us feel that our needs were valued. This was essential in our time of need and something we will never forget.

Erin balanced all her competing demands professionally. The attention she gave to all of us was beyond impressive, seeing as my friend’s needs were the priority. This is something not all nurses master; catering to the emotional needs of patients and family members while delivering high-quality care at a demanding pace.

I will never forget Erin’s gift or that of the entire care team. Erin was our pillar of strength and my friend’s most important angel in her time of despair. Erin exemplified critical care nursing at its finest. A true gift that she may not even know she has mastered. A more than fitting reason to nominate Erin for the DAISY Award that she is so incredibly deserving of.

In the words of poet Maya Angelou, ‘They may forget your name, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” However, we will never forget your name, Erin.

During a surprise celebration for Erin, her DAISY Award nomination was read aloud and she received her award along with other items to celebrate this incredible recognition. Family members and friends of the patient also attended Erin’s celebration event.

Erin with General Hospital CNO Cece Lynch.