Let me tell you about my pal, Jonathan Burgess.

In my 20 years of bedside nursing, I have met and worked with many talented, phenomenal people. But occasionally, there is a very special shining star who exhibits the utmost compassionate behavior that sets such a calm and bright vibe throughout the unit, and it cannot be denied.

I am nominating Jonathan Burgess, RN (aka Jonny) because he is a daily inspiration to all of us! He has been an RN in NTICU for seven years and has served on the Unit Based Governing Council for five years. He emits a positive aura on our unit by being a team player every day; he will always jump in to help others without anyone needing to ask. He precepts newer nurses and residents. His positive attitude fosters relationship building between all staff members no matter their role or seniority/rank. I have witnessed Jonny inviting several new staff to activities outside of work so they feel welcome and can get to know others on a more personal level. This is important for nursing retention. Jonny also serves as an admin for our unit-based social media page. This is another example of how Jonny fosters staff engagement as he goes out of his way to help all unit staff feel welcome and included. The role also includes monitoring the page and perhaps occasionally some censorship to maintain safety and enjoyment for all the staff of our unit. Most of the above extracurricular activities are done on a volunteer basis. These are only a few examples to show that Jonny is a strong leader!

However, with everything in mind, the most profound example to recognize Jonny as a DAISY Nurse is because of music. Music touches everyone no matter their language or culture. Music is healing and can bring light to the most extreme darkness. Most of the patients and families we serve are in the toughest times of their lives.

I have witnessed many times firsthand how Jonny administers music therapy with his ukulele and beautiful singing voice. It brings tears to my eyes as I can sit with the patient as well and find more meaning in the care that we give. One specific example is that of a 50-year-old female patient who was suffering from heart failure in the face of severe COPD. She was not able to get off the ventilator and had been on it for over two weeks without improvement. She was totally alert, awake, and oriented as she was able to write down everything she wanted to communicate, including “Thank you for your care,” many times. My heart broke for her when she realized she was in a predicament that she would never get out of because there were no surgical options for her heart valve disease, and her COPD was so severe that she could not stay off the ventilator. She wrote, “Please be honest, am I going to die?” As she had made it clear, she would never want to be on the ventilator long term; thus, no tracheostomy or feeding tube. While the patient was grieving about her prognosis, I asked Jonny to come play for her. Her eyes lit up with excitement and she even smiled several times whilst crying tears of joy as he played the ukulele and we both sang. Her husband then entered about 15 minutes later, and his hardened exterior melted away for the next 30 minutes. He cried with us as well. And they both graciously thanked Jonny for this precious moment in time. It was the most heart-wrenching, sad, yet beautiful experience I have had with a patient! I will never forget this.

As I go on to become a new nurse practitioner, I will have this memory with me to ground myself when I am stressed or facing burnout because it reminds me why I love being a nurse and care provider. We care for our patients to aid them in returning to the highest level of health we can, but there are those for whom scientific medicine can no longer offer as much help if it does not align with the patient’s goals of care and quality of life. When caring for the patient might start to feel more like adding to pain rather than healing as the human body unfortunately does have limits. When the limits are being reached, these are the patients that stay in our minds as we try to change the focus to the alleviation of suffering. And though the story is still sad, it can still be beautiful.

It was what this patient (and so many other patients) needed in her journey as she seemed to have a more peaceful effect soon after and started preparing to say goodbye to her friends and loved ones. It was what I would imagine most of us would picture to be a more “peaceful” end of life story. In fact, the patient was so moved that she asked for a photo of Jonny to keep.

Thank you, Jonny, for your big heart and genuine spirit! Our unit is so fortunate to have you on our team. I hope you keep doing what you do because it makes a difference to our patients and their ICU journey. I know it made a difference in me as a staff member. I will also cherish this memory forever!