Justin (left) and Scott Burshtynsky — brothers and winners of
Patient Advocacy Awards.
As Craig Loundas, PhD, associate vice president of the Penn Medicine Experience, watched an Ortho/Trauma nurse accept his Patient Advocacy Award at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (PPMC) he felt some serious deja vu. Hadn’t he just watched the same exact nurse win the same exact award only the day before, but at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP)? Seeing the winner’s name — Burshtynksy — jolted his memory, and he recalled a particularly interesting Penn Medicine orientation session two years prior where he’d met two brothers starting their Penn journeys at the same time. It all made sense now — but what a coincidence!
Not only are Scott Burshtynksy, BSN, a clinical nurse II in Cupp 4 East at PPMC, and Justin Burshtynsky, BSN, a clinical nurse III in the Emergency Department at HUP, occasionally mistaken for twins (they’re three years apart), but prior to joining Penn Medicine, they both attended Drexel University and were determined to help others by entering the healthcare field after college.
Justin graduated in 2012 and worked for Jefferson Health and Pennsylvania Hospital (PAH) before deciding to explore the realm of travel nursing. Two assignments later, he realized that while being a travel nurse sounded exciting and fulfilling, it just wasn’t for him. More frankly, “I hated it,” he said. “I started thinking about my experiences at PAH, and I realized that Penn was where I really wanted to be. I really valued the fact that the nursing staff had been involved in decision making, and I knew that if I had the drive, Penn could offer me so many opportunities.”
Scott was in a similar situation. He had worked for another hospital through Drexel’s co-op program, and he was looking forward to a change — especially given the fact that his brother had been so complimentary about his experiences at Penn and was eager to get back himself. As Justin noted, “We’re best friends, and we talk every day,” so it was no surprise when they decided to take the leap together.
In 2016, the Burshtynksy brothers attended the same orientation — Justin for the second time and Scott for the first — but while their paths diverged as they settled into HUP’s ED and PPMC’s Ortho/Trauma unit, respectively, their dual Patient Advocacy Awards indicate that they have both established themselves as role models for their peers, champions for their patients, and assets to Penn Medicine.
For Justin, being a patient advocate is built on the understanding that every patient who comes through the ED deserves the best care possible. “Background, education level, pre-existing conditions, not having a primary care provider — none of that should determine the level of care a patient receives,” he said. “I think that sometimes because we’re so busy, it can be easy to not follow-up with patients and really make sure they understand what’s going on and feel comfortable asking questions.”
Establishing a line of clear communication and actively listening to a patient’s needs are vital, though, as evidenced by the incident that prompted Justin’s Patient Advocacy Awards nomination. He recently encountered a patient struggling with hunger and a severe headache in a hallway bed as she waited on the results of a preliminary CAT scan. She was briefly discharged, but less than an hour later, she had returned to HUP, and it was discovered that she had enlarged ventricles in her brain and now needed a range of other tests. To ensure she felt seen, understood, and cared for, Justin spearheaded the efforts to bump up her MRI time and had her NPO status reversed so she could finally eat.
Scott shows similar dedication to his patients, even if they are initially distrustful of their care team, aggressive, or otherwise challenging. “Patients and families dealing with violent, traumatic injuries are often dealing with a wide range of emotions, and that can be hard to handle, especially if the patients are making it difficult for the nurses to work with them,” he said. “I think it’s important to keep their perspective in mind, and I do my best to relate to them and make a connection so their hospitalization is less overwhelming.”
Scott’s ability to relate to his patients has been observed by his unit, too, and served as the foundation for his nomination by colleague Jennifer Osgood, RN. She notes that Scott seems to be able to handle “difficult situations with ease, always remaining calm and keeping the patient’s needs first and foremost.” Instead of getting frustrated, “He talks to patients in a ‘real way,’ explains what he is doing and why,” and is able to empathize, listen, and develop relationships with patients and their families so he can make their experience better. Scott also shows this same care when collaborating with his unit, and because he takes the time to understand patients’ health goals, he can “clearly communicate with every member to ensure his patients are receiving what they need.
Two brothers winning two awards in the same year in the same health system may be coincidental, but given the Burshtynksy brothers’ shared dedication to making the Penn Medicine Experience the best it can be for every patient, every family, and every colleague, it’s not surprising at all.