August 2026 Honoree
Erin Berg, BSN, RN
My 83-year-old father-in-law had been readmitted after a hospitalization. He had battled sepsis and recovered. A week later, he was back in the ER, then moved to a regular medical room. Shortly thereafter he was moved to the ICU step down unit as he was experiencing multiple infections, fever, swallowing issues, and severe muscle spasms. On the fifth day of his hospitalization, we realized that J's body was telling us that it was totally worn out. We made the decision as a family that morning to change his status to comfort care only and do not resuscitate. Erin was assigned as our nurse that day.
Erin did a great job explaining everything, which helped us feel comfortable with the next steps in his dying process. She was caring, professional, and highly skilled in knowing how to communicate these difficult details with us. Erin anticipated his needs and our family’s needs and was proactive in caring for them, as well as any nurse I have ever seen in my 25-year nursing career. Making sure that those details are right in your loved one’s final hours is absolutely critical. One would think that being a nurse when your family is sick is a good thing. In this experience, it led to feelings of powerlessness and internal conflict. Restraining oneself from asking a billion questions, jumping up to turn off a beeping pump, and repositioning or helping someone to the bathroom were all things staff did, not the daughter-in-law nurse. This made watching “the healthcare system work” a difficult feat. However, the entire Northeast Georgia system worked as well as anything I could have hoped for.
As hard as it was to watch my father-in-law decline, I could tell he was getting the most excellent care in each stage of the process. But Erin’s care on the last two days of his life was exemplary. Ultimately he passed away as peacefully as anyone who is dying of pneumonia could transition. Her clinical judgment and emotional intelligence are superb. Before I left the hospital, I had a quick conversation with Erin and thanked her for all she had done for our family. I made sure to ask her the question that gifted healthcare workers know deep in their hearts. How does it feel to be so good at doing something that God created you to do and help others at the same time? She said it feels good, very good, thank you.
Erin did a great job explaining everything, which helped us feel comfortable with the next steps in his dying process. She was caring, professional, and highly skilled in knowing how to communicate these difficult details with us. Erin anticipated his needs and our family’s needs and was proactive in caring for them, as well as any nurse I have ever seen in my 25-year nursing career. Making sure that those details are right in your loved one’s final hours is absolutely critical. One would think that being a nurse when your family is sick is a good thing. In this experience, it led to feelings of powerlessness and internal conflict. Restraining oneself from asking a billion questions, jumping up to turn off a beeping pump, and repositioning or helping someone to the bathroom were all things staff did, not the daughter-in-law nurse. This made watching “the healthcare system work” a difficult feat. However, the entire Northeast Georgia system worked as well as anything I could have hoped for.
As hard as it was to watch my father-in-law decline, I could tell he was getting the most excellent care in each stage of the process. But Erin’s care on the last two days of his life was exemplary. Ultimately he passed away as peacefully as anyone who is dying of pneumonia could transition. Her clinical judgment and emotional intelligence are superb. Before I left the hospital, I had a quick conversation with Erin and thanked her for all she had done for our family. I made sure to ask her the question that gifted healthcare workers know deep in their hearts. How does it feel to be so good at doing something that God created you to do and help others at the same time? She said it feels good, very good, thank you.
Thank you, Erin, for your exceptional compassion, advocacy, and dedication to your patients. You truly make a difference.
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