DAISY Award—David Yatchuk

David Yatchuk
Tower 6 Acute Care Pediatrics

Nominator: Mindy Nelson

Reason for Recognition: David has been our nurse on the night shift in Tower 6 Pediatrics. He has been the most incredible nurse we have had throughout our week here. My 9yo daughter arrived via transport as a pediatric trauma patient through the ER, so we have had many truly wonderful nurses in the ER, PICU, and Tower 6 Pediatrics. However, David has been, by far, above and beyond the rest. Not only has he had the kindest bedside manner with my daughter, he is efficient, prepared, kept us well-informed, and has been anticipatory to her every need.

David was so considerate of my daughter’s condition and her treatment plan. When there were options on how to proceed and it was difficult to decide (especially having been, at times, overwhelmed and sleep-deprived), he provided thoughtful suggestions for each path forward in order for us to make an informed decision. David is patient, knowledgeable, and clearly experienced. I appreciated his advice very much, especially as he grew to know and care for my daughter over consecutive night shifts.

Additionally, David always provided age-appropriate and compassionate responses to my daughter’s concerns or frustrations throughout her recovery process. She truly felt very comfortable knowing David was always nearby at night. He showed constant compassion for my daughter. Through each struggle, progression, regression, and success, David was there to support her and suggest adjustments as appropriate. My daughter quickly grew to trust him (as did I) and took comfort in his presence and assistance as she relearned how to do even the most basic of tasks.

I greatly appreciated that David knew my daughter’s chart inside and out. He knew exactly what medications were to be administered when, and coordinated with other departments, like radiology or the trauma team, so that we knew exactly where we needed to be and when. This was very helpful in planning appropriate pain management measures to achieve success with areas like PT/OT. He even started to anticipate how I personally felt like the treatment plan could be tailored more specifically to her present situation and provided those suggestions proactively.

David planned his visits thoughtfully to consolidate the administration of medications, lab draws, and vitals to disturb my daughter as little as possible during the night thereby facilitating a more restful night of sleep for her. In fact, he was so skilled and stealthy, she referred to him as her “night nurse ninja.” He made sure to arrive before monitors started beeping and silenced alarms immediately after (and even before!) they went off. Everything David did was thoughtful and purposeful. There are so many more examples I could list. There aren’t enough words to express the gratitude and appreciation we feel for all of the medical staff who have been involved with our daughter’s experience. But we hold David, our favorite night nurse ninja, in the highest regard and hope to recognize his incredible care and impact. Thank you, David! We truly feel blessed to have met you and will remember you forever.