Amy Barczynski
August 2026
Amy
Barczynski
,
RN, CCRN
Baylor Scott and White Medical Center - Temple
Temple
,
TX
United States
Amy is the kind of rapid nurse who doesn’t just respond and leave; she follows up.
I would like to recognize Amy, one of our night shift Rapid Response nurses. Amy consistently exemplifies what it means to advocate for patients and support the bedside nursing team. Her clinical judgment, attentiveness, and willingness to stand beside nurses when they are advocating for their patients make her an invaluable part of our hospital.
Recently, I was caring for a patient who was a full code and persistently breathing 40–60 respirations per minute throughout the night. Although the patient appeared relatively asymptomatic and denied any symptoms, the respiratory rate remained extremely concerning. After our initial rapid response, we decided to keep the patient on the unit. I continued to closely monitor and repeatedly update the physicians overnight that the patient’s respiratory rate remained dangerously elevated.
Amy is the kind of rapid nurse who doesn’t just respond and leave; she follows up. She sought me out later in the shift to check on the patient and make sure things were still stable. At that point I had already asked the physicians to reevaluate the patient at the bedside. We had started CPAP and were carefully documenting respiratory rates because the numbers were being questioned. When asked how I obtained the respiratory rate, I had to explain I had counted for a full minute per standards of care.
Amy immediately recognized the seriousness of the situation. Instead of dismissing the concern, she listened, assessed the patient herself, and supported the escalation of care. She helped initiate a second rapid response and stood beside me while we advocated for the patient to receive a higher level of care. With her support and clinical insight, the patient was ultimately transferred to the ICU, where he could receive the monitoring and treatment he needed.
What stood out most was not just Amy’s clinical skill, but her commitment to patient advocacy and supporting bedside nurses. As a bedside nurse caring for a critically ill patient on a non-ICU unit, it can be incredibly difficult to push for escalation when concerns are being questioned. Amy never made me feel dismissed or alone in that moment. Instead, she validated the concern, assessed the patient thoroughly, and helped ensure the patient’s condition was taken seriously.
This is what Amy does every shift. She checks in with nurses after rapid responses, follows up on patients to make sure they are still doing well, and takes the time to listen when someone is worried. She is calm, knowledgeable, and deeply patient-centered. Her presence brings reassurance to the bedside team during some of the most stressful moments of the night.
Amy is an exceptional rapid response nurse and a fierce advocate for patient safety. Our unit and our patients are safer because of her dedication, skill, and compassion. We are incredibly fortunate to have her as part of our team.
Recently, I was caring for a patient who was a full code and persistently breathing 40–60 respirations per minute throughout the night. Although the patient appeared relatively asymptomatic and denied any symptoms, the respiratory rate remained extremely concerning. After our initial rapid response, we decided to keep the patient on the unit. I continued to closely monitor and repeatedly update the physicians overnight that the patient’s respiratory rate remained dangerously elevated.
Amy is the kind of rapid nurse who doesn’t just respond and leave; she follows up. She sought me out later in the shift to check on the patient and make sure things were still stable. At that point I had already asked the physicians to reevaluate the patient at the bedside. We had started CPAP and were carefully documenting respiratory rates because the numbers were being questioned. When asked how I obtained the respiratory rate, I had to explain I had counted for a full minute per standards of care.
Amy immediately recognized the seriousness of the situation. Instead of dismissing the concern, she listened, assessed the patient herself, and supported the escalation of care. She helped initiate a second rapid response and stood beside me while we advocated for the patient to receive a higher level of care. With her support and clinical insight, the patient was ultimately transferred to the ICU, where he could receive the monitoring and treatment he needed.
What stood out most was not just Amy’s clinical skill, but her commitment to patient advocacy and supporting bedside nurses. As a bedside nurse caring for a critically ill patient on a non-ICU unit, it can be incredibly difficult to push for escalation when concerns are being questioned. Amy never made me feel dismissed or alone in that moment. Instead, she validated the concern, assessed the patient thoroughly, and helped ensure the patient’s condition was taken seriously.
This is what Amy does every shift. She checks in with nurses after rapid responses, follows up on patients to make sure they are still doing well, and takes the time to listen when someone is worried. She is calm, knowledgeable, and deeply patient-centered. Her presence brings reassurance to the bedside team during some of the most stressful moments of the night.
Amy is an exceptional rapid response nurse and a fierce advocate for patient safety. Our unit and our patients are safer because of her dedication, skill, and compassion. We are incredibly fortunate to have her as part of our team.