Brian Huyck
February 2024
Brian
Huyck
,
BSN, RN
Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU)
University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics
Iowa City
,
IA
United States
Brian was our lifeline
Congratulations to our February 2024 DAISY Award recipient: Brian Huyck, BSN, RN, Staff Nurse, ISS Division, Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU).
He was nominated by the child of a patient, who wrote: My father spent ten days on the MICU unit with a very critical and complex illness. It was an emotional rollercoaster for him (while he was alert) and for our entire family, watching and feeling helpless from afar for what felt like an eternity. Dad's illness presented the medical team with several unknowns, including his survival. Brian was our lifeline and an absolute jewel of consistency- making informed, decisive, and critical decisions and keeping our family abreast of any and all updates. He was calm and steady when we were frantic and terrified.
Brian took the time to explain things to my siblings and I, sometimes over and over as we would often visit separately and ask the same questions. He also patiently helped my mom understand what was happening and answered her questions, as English is not her native language. He lifted us in more ways than he will ever know when our energy and capacity to function was depleted. He was patient, diligent, warm, empathetic, and transparent. If he didn't have an answer, he'd find it. If he knew the information he gave us was hard to hear, he told us anyway, and we appreciated that very much.
Seeing Brian every day, especially when he was assigned to care for Dad, was one of the only things we looked forward to while in the MICU. We exchanged more hugs and "I love you's" than I remember. He became our family because he cared for Dad like a member of his own family. One of the many things that touched my family deeply as we watched Brian tirelessly care for my father was the dignity he displayed in his care, even when my dad wasn't alert to hear, see, or know what was happening around him. He spoke to him and explained things to him as if Dad was alert and would tell him every time he was going to poke him, prod him, move him, adjust him, or clean him up.
He was nominated by the child of a patient, who wrote: My father spent ten days on the MICU unit with a very critical and complex illness. It was an emotional rollercoaster for him (while he was alert) and for our entire family, watching and feeling helpless from afar for what felt like an eternity. Dad's illness presented the medical team with several unknowns, including his survival. Brian was our lifeline and an absolute jewel of consistency- making informed, decisive, and critical decisions and keeping our family abreast of any and all updates. He was calm and steady when we were frantic and terrified.
Brian took the time to explain things to my siblings and I, sometimes over and over as we would often visit separately and ask the same questions. He also patiently helped my mom understand what was happening and answered her questions, as English is not her native language. He lifted us in more ways than he will ever know when our energy and capacity to function was depleted. He was patient, diligent, warm, empathetic, and transparent. If he didn't have an answer, he'd find it. If he knew the information he gave us was hard to hear, he told us anyway, and we appreciated that very much.
Seeing Brian every day, especially when he was assigned to care for Dad, was one of the only things we looked forward to while in the MICU. We exchanged more hugs and "I love you's" than I remember. He became our family because he cared for Dad like a member of his own family. One of the many things that touched my family deeply as we watched Brian tirelessly care for my father was the dignity he displayed in his care, even when my dad wasn't alert to hear, see, or know what was happening around him. He spoke to him and explained things to him as if Dad was alert and would tell him every time he was going to poke him, prod him, move him, adjust him, or clean him up.