Brynne has worked with me in the burn ICU for 3 years and is consistently one of the most compassionate, caring individuals when it comes to the patients who need it most.
She is also innovative, researching and creating a new protocol for our burn ICU patients who require a completly different method of protecting their central lines. Because of Brynne, our protocol is now to secure a silver-impregnated foam dressing to the line, and we have had no further CLABSI's in this patient population.
In addition, Brynne has recently returned from a two-month volunteer position with Mercy Ships, where she performed dressing changes for children recovering from reconstructive surgery after catastrophic burn injuries. She puts so much of herself into her work and does whatever it takes to maintain trusting relationships with her patients. She continues to strive for what is right, even when it is not easy. That is a rare and admirable quality.
She recently had a child who had sustained a catastrophic burn injury and had been experiencing care elsewhere with minimal pain medication, under care that was less than world-class. Understandably, the child suffered from the effects of PTSD related to her injury and treatment and would cry uncontrollably when approached for a dressing change. Her fear was entirely unable to be redirected.
Brynne and her team of nurses proceeded to take hours to approach the dressing change and surgery with the child. Brynne redirected the mother's behavior and controlled the environment, even teaching the child to perform hand hygiene and help remove her own dressings. Letting the child regain some form of control and using a multi-modal form of care and comfort was immensely successful, and eventually, the girl was able to tolerate the dressing change with success!
I am so proud of Brynne, and everything she's been able to accomplish. We definitely need more nurses like her.