Bryan is a Patient-focused RN “On Top of The World”

Bryan, a bachelor-prepared RN “on top of the world” at the Providence Alaska Medical Center’s Cardiovascular Observation Unit, relies on teamwork and trust as part of a high patient satisfaction-oriented unit.

“We have to work together. There are times when something may be going on with a patient, and we need multiple hands on deck because when things happen, they happen fast. So the hands have to work together. We have to trust each other to get the job done together as a team.”

Daily Nurse is proud to honor Bryan as our Nurse of the Week for his focus on teamwork and dedication to patient satisfaction.

“Knowing that I can positively impact somebody’s life not only brings me job satisfaction, but it gives me purpose,” says Bryan.

After working in ophthalmology for 20 years, Bryan transitioned into nursing and went through Providence’s nurse resident program.

He was a resident in the Progressive Care Unit (PCU). He says, “PCU is a great place to learn critical nursing skills and some basic medical surgical nursing skills, and prepares a nurse for more well-rounded work within the hospital setting itself. It allows you to flex your muscle either way. You can opt for a medical surgical floor or move on to ICU, ER, or another role requiring a specialized nursing type.”

Bryan says PCU offers a wide range of experiences.

“You’re put to work to move quickly. Patients are being downgraded, and patients are being upgraded. There’s a lot of flow in PCU in terms of patient turnover. That can press the nurse to learn how to make decisions quickly and efficiently, manage their time well, and learn all the interventions and drugs they need. PCU pushes them to hone their skills quickly.

Now, Bryan works in the Cardiovascular Observation Unit, a pre-and post-cath lab, and pre-and post-interventional radiology unit for patients preparing for lung or liver biopsies, cardiac catheterization for pacemaker implants, cardiac ablations, and more.

Bryan says the culture of his department is teamwork and trust. “I love it. It’s a very high patient satisfaction-oriented unit. It’s all about patient-centered care.”

He values being able to chat with patients and explain procedures in detail to allay their fears and give them confidence.

Bryan tells a story of a patient bitten by a dog. The ordeal affected the patient more than he expected. But, after they talked about it for a while, the patient told Bryan, “I appreciate you. You’re a great nurse. You’ve made a difference in my life.”

Bryan managed another patient’s pain and pain medication after open-heart surgery.

“A year later, he came back into the unit. I almost didn’t recognize him because he had gained weight. His hair was a little bit different. You don’t recognize some of your patients when they’re out in the community because they look un-sick. He came in and said, ‘I just wanted to thank you. You’re the only person who managed my pain while I was in the hospital.’ That is just so powerful. When a patient says thank you genuinely for what you’ve done and that you’ve impacted them in a way nobody else could have, that makes you feel on top of the world.”

Nominate a Nurse of the Week! Every Wednesday, DailyNurse.com features a nurse making a difference in the lives of their patients, students, and colleagues. We encourage you to nominate a nurse who has impacted your life as the next Nurse of the Week, and we’ll feature them online and in our weekly newsletter.