April 2026 Honoree
Brianna Sadofsky, BSN, RN
Brianna was my overnight nurse for the first three days of an extended stay at UNMC after a brain tumor diagnosis. I had to go through a lot of unfamiliar tests, including three consecutive nights of MRIs, bloodwork, and more. This was uncharted territory for me, and Brianna was a steady, calm force who answered all my questions and provided gentle reassurance.
Every nurse I encountered at UNMC exhibited extraordinary professionalism and expertise, so Brianna was not unique in that aspect. There were, however, a few things she did that went above and beyond, in my opinion.
When I was allowed to shower after a few days, I asked Brianna if the hospital had shampoo and conditioner. Knowing that only baby shampoo was available, she let me use her personal hair products. Not only did they work well for my hair, but they also smelled great. This provided a little olfactory escape from the ICU. She did little things like this throughout my stay that made the ICU brighter and less scary.
When I received flowers from friends, she very apologetically explained that flowers couldn't be in patient rooms because of pollen and that they would have to go to the nurses’ station or to one of my friends’ or family members’ homes. As a seasonal allergy sufferer, this made perfect sense to me, and everyone walking by the nurses’ station could enjoy them, which I did multiple times a day over the next week during my daily laps while I awaited surgery.
She really went above and beyond the next morning when she came in with a color photo of my flowers, which she taped to my window. This seemingly small act of printing out a picture of my flowers meant the world to me, and I applaud her innovative solution.
Brianna not only exhibited tremendous empathy and thoughtfulness, but she was also just a great nurse overall. Even though the Neuro ICU was extremely busy while I was there, her level of care for me remained consistent and outstanding.
She also helped start the process of securing approval for my over-the-counter allergy medication when the UNMC pharmacy initially substituted another seemingly equivalent medication that simply doesn’t work for me.
She is one of the many reasons why UNMC is extraordinary.
Every nurse I encountered at UNMC exhibited extraordinary professionalism and expertise, so Brianna was not unique in that aspect. There were, however, a few things she did that went above and beyond, in my opinion.
When I was allowed to shower after a few days, I asked Brianna if the hospital had shampoo and conditioner. Knowing that only baby shampoo was available, she let me use her personal hair products. Not only did they work well for my hair, but they also smelled great. This provided a little olfactory escape from the ICU. She did little things like this throughout my stay that made the ICU brighter and less scary.
When I received flowers from friends, she very apologetically explained that flowers couldn't be in patient rooms because of pollen and that they would have to go to the nurses’ station or to one of my friends’ or family members’ homes. As a seasonal allergy sufferer, this made perfect sense to me, and everyone walking by the nurses’ station could enjoy them, which I did multiple times a day over the next week during my daily laps while I awaited surgery.
She really went above and beyond the next morning when she came in with a color photo of my flowers, which she taped to my window. This seemingly small act of printing out a picture of my flowers meant the world to me, and I applaud her innovative solution.
Brianna not only exhibited tremendous empathy and thoughtfulness, but she was also just a great nurse overall. Even though the Neuro ICU was extremely busy while I was there, her level of care for me remained consistent and outstanding.
She also helped start the process of securing approval for my over-the-counter allergy medication when the UNMC pharmacy initially substituted another seemingly equivalent medication that simply doesn’t work for me.
She is one of the many reasons why UNMC is extraordinary.
Thank you, Brianna, for your exceptional compassion, advocacy, and dedication to your patients. You truly make a difference.
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