Erica Erickson
August 2025
Erica
Erickson
,
RN
ICU
Allina Mercy Hospital
Coon Rapids
,
MN
United States
Because of the care L had received from her time of admission by Erica, we trusted her. We had seen her kindness, her skill, her knowledge, and her compassion for L and for us every day.
My beautiful sister L died today at Mercy Hospital after a struggle with ovarian cancer, and with complications of diabetes and Parkinson's Disease.. She was a singer, a songwriter, a wife, a mother, and a kind and gentle person. She will be missed by all who were lucky enough to know her.
We had not planned for her to die in the hospital; her husband and daughter wanted to move her home with hospice care. But she went unexpectedly into ketoacidosis in the middle of the night, was transported to Mercy, and by the time her blood sugars stabilized, it became more and more clear that she would likely not survive a transport home. When this happens, families like ours struggle to articulate what they are sensing - and rely on medical staff to help them understand. Erica Erickson was our angel at Mercy.
She let us know that the Doctor rounding for the weekend had reviewed Laura's progress and that he would talk with us about her plan of care. We all agreed that we wanted L's comfort to be the priority, and that the worst thing we could envision was her death in a transport vehicle without her family there. If she couldn't be transported, we hoped that she could be kept as comfortable as she would be in a home hospice plan, and we wanted to be able to stay with her. Erica said that nursing staff would do everything they could as far as comfort care and medications ordered to help L die without distress and pain. Because of the care L had received from her time of admission by Erica, we trusted her. We had seen her kindness, her skill, her knowledge, and her compassion for L and for us every day. By the time the Doctor - who was also wonderful - discussed with us his concern that L is dying and unlikely to survive transfer, we felt tremendous relief and a clear direction.
L passed away a day later, gently ending her earthly life with her daughter and husband beside her. We experienced such compassionate support from every member of the staff at Mercy, but the excellent nursing care provided by Erica facilitated our ability to accept the change in L's condition to help her to die in peace and comfort. Trust is everything, and we trusted Erica.
We had not planned for her to die in the hospital; her husband and daughter wanted to move her home with hospice care. But she went unexpectedly into ketoacidosis in the middle of the night, was transported to Mercy, and by the time her blood sugars stabilized, it became more and more clear that she would likely not survive a transport home. When this happens, families like ours struggle to articulate what they are sensing - and rely on medical staff to help them understand. Erica Erickson was our angel at Mercy.
She let us know that the Doctor rounding for the weekend had reviewed Laura's progress and that he would talk with us about her plan of care. We all agreed that we wanted L's comfort to be the priority, and that the worst thing we could envision was her death in a transport vehicle without her family there. If she couldn't be transported, we hoped that she could be kept as comfortable as she would be in a home hospice plan, and we wanted to be able to stay with her. Erica said that nursing staff would do everything they could as far as comfort care and medications ordered to help L die without distress and pain. Because of the care L had received from her time of admission by Erica, we trusted her. We had seen her kindness, her skill, her knowledge, and her compassion for L and for us every day. By the time the Doctor - who was also wonderful - discussed with us his concern that L is dying and unlikely to survive transfer, we felt tremendous relief and a clear direction.
L passed away a day later, gently ending her earthly life with her daughter and husband beside her. We experienced such compassionate support from every member of the staff at Mercy, but the excellent nursing care provided by Erica facilitated our ability to accept the change in L's condition to help her to die in peace and comfort. Trust is everything, and we trusted Erica.