My wife was admitted to the PACU at Saint Barnabas in the evening. She was scheduled for a Craniotomy in the morning at 7:30 AM. She entered the recovery room at 12:07 PM. And waited there until a bed was found in the ICU that evening.
Enter Nurse Brian Jernick. In just 5 minutes we understood that Brian actually understood "I" means "Intensive". He called the Neurosurgeon on call, who we knew well. The doctor and Brian took swift action. Brian was great at communicating by telling us what the short-term and the long-term goals were and in the process putting us at ease. Brian realizes that it's human interaction, attention, and passion for what is being done. That matters. Brian probably couldn't recite the mission statement. But he doesn't have to. He lives it. He loves what he does and it shows. He managed 2 patients and did it with ease. Learning that my wife had never had brain surgery before. That she needed reassurance and effective dialog. With Brian, we never had to worry about all that. Every time he came in, he checked all the medications, IV drips, and asked about pain levels. That is beyond reassuring.
Nurse Brian's greatest skill is his humanity that manifests itself in his passion for what he does, and the people like my wife who come into his life. He's humble, he's an active listener, he's a skilled nurse, and he is a great human being. A man with a heart, with an indomitable spirit, working long hours in a tough department. He never complained. He communicated with ease and with the effect of calming both my wife and me, who have never been in an ICU. Brian Jernick is the best representative of what an ICU nurse should be.