I wanted to write a heartfelt recommendation letter for this wonderful nurse that I've had the utmost pleasure to get to know and work with.
I'm in the fortunate position of being able to work with many wonderful nurses at UAMS, and John Brewczynski is by far one of the best nurses I've ever come across, if not the best. He deserves any and all accolades that are applicable to his specialty and line of work.
John has the most positive demeanor, not just for a nurse, but for any individual. I can tell he genuinely loves his job. He almost always wears a smile on his face, and I've caught him many times humming a happy tune whenever he's pulling meds or walking down the hall! His cheerful attitude contributes to his wonderful talent at customer service. I've seen John be able to calm down even the rowdiest of patients and family members. He always remains tranquil and steadfast in difficult situations, and promotes positivity among his peers, especially when they feel down.
It's not so much the big things that make him a caring person, but also the small things that matter to him too: things such as going out of his way to get the softest blanket he can for someone, or testing his patients' blood sugars with the least amount of pain possible, something seemingly small, but very considerable. In this way, he shows that the small things are the big things. While other nurses may only be task-oriented and forget the humanity of their patients, John does all he possibly can to empathize with everyone he comes acrossand lends an open and understanding ear to whoever needs to be heard. He takes the time to listen to all of his patients' demands, and prepares and anticipates all of his patients' requests, often times before they even realize what they need!
John is also one of the best resource nurses on his unit. He still seems to be able to act in the role of a charge nurse despite having his own patients! He considers any patients on the unit as his own and goes out of his way more than any other nurse I've witnessed to be readily available to any staff member that may need his help. He's often one of the first to come to a patient's aid on his unit during a rapid response or a code, and remains level-headed during the entire event. During his downtime, he likes to sit near the call lights, and when he's active he often goes around the unit, asking everyone if they're doing okay and if there's any way he can be of any help. Many nurses, even experienced nurses and especially new nurses to his unit, often ask him for advice or a second opinion. He's very patient and clear whenever he's educating, whether it's getting patients to understand what they're going through and how they can better manage their ailments, or helping a new nurse or tech become comfortable with an unfamiliar procedure. He's amazingly able to do this without making whoever he's explaining to feel inadequate for not knowing whatever it is they had a question about, and rather, turns it into a positive experience that encourages learning. He consistently keeps up and researches anything new that may apply to nursing, especially difficult topics, whether it's new medicines he may have to administer or unique therapy techniques for his patients. I've seen him research potassium levels and how they affect the body, a challenging topic indeed!
I've also learned that John is often unofficially on call, whether it's being asked to cover a shift, or a coworker calling to vent about a rough shift or ask for guidance. John does his absolute best to help his fellow nurses that take over his patients. He spends a great deal of time being as detailed as possible in his charting, and leaves the best round he can for oncoming staff. He works as hard as he can to make sure the morning nurses are okay, especially when the start of the day becomes hectic with change of shift shenanigans.
If there's anyone in the world who encompasses what a nurse can and should be, it is John Brewczynski. Please consider him well, and help him grow his already bright career by presenting him with this well-deserved award.
John told me once, "I always have the best patients!"
I asked him, "Oh really? How do you get so lucky to get such good patients?"
In his always delightful way, he responded, "Because! They're MY patients!"