Personal Tragedy Inspired Ryan Taylor to Become a Certified Burn Registered Nurse at Valleywise Health
Ryan Taylor, Certified Burn Registered Nurse at Valleywise Health, knew he was destined to be in healthcare from an early age.
In the early 2000s, Taylor worked as a respiratory therapist through a contracted job at Maricopa Medical Center (the Valleywise Health legacy healthcare system). After working in respiratory therapy for seven years, Taylor set a new goal for himself and applied to nursing school. With the help of the Valleywise Health team, he was able to expedite the application process and start his new challenge.
He did not know the experience would be life-changing for him and his family.
Taylor completed nursing school in 2012 and participated in his official pinning ceremony on March 8. It was also his late brother’s birthday.
Taylor’s brother, Brett, lost his life after a catastrophic burn injury in 2012. He was house-sitting at his parents’ residence while they were out of town. Unbeknownst to him or his parents, there was a gas leak at the house which resulted in an explosion. Brett was burned over 99% of his body. His last days were spent in the Diane & Bruce Halle Arizona Burn Center – Valleywise Health.
“My career as a burn nurse was inspired by my brother’s passing,” said Taylor. “Understanding first-hand the value of a caring and supportive nursing staff during a difficult time in a patient’s life, and the impact this level of care has on a family, was often my motivation during the dark times.”
Taylor questioned whether he would ever be able to return to work after his brother’s accident, but decided it was his calling to provide patients and their families with the kind of care and understanding his brother received.
“Hearing terrible news from the doctors and nurses at the Halle Arizona Burn Center about what was ultimately my brother’s passing led me to be a much more compassionate, empathetic and caring healthcare professional,” said Taylor. “I always try to put myself in a position to understand what drives patients’ choices, especially with the difficult decisions made in our hospital every day.”
Taylor is not the only Halle Arizona Burn Center team member who has dealt with personal tragedy. Many people in the organization have a connection to the unit and the work being done within its four walls. For the burn team, knowing they can lean on each other when times are tough is invaluable and something Taylor says makes them like an “intimate family away from home.”
“When tragedy strikes, you have to find the silver lining, and I think for me, the silver lining of my brother’s passing came when I returned to work,” said Taylor.
Taylor explains, “Being part of Valleywise means being part of a family—one that is dedicated to a greater mission: serving the underserved. It’s about stepping up for those who can’t always step up for themselves and providing the highest-quality care with compassion and purpose.”
In a healthcare industry that can often feel corporate and impersonal, Valleywise Health stands apart. “We foster genuine connections—through people like myself, through survivors within our organization, and through the incredible individuals who work tirelessly every day. My hope is that when people walk through our doors, they don’t just see a hospital. They feel a community, a family that truly cares because the people we serve need and deserve that level of support more than anyone” said Taylor.
“I am who I am today because of my brother’s tragedy,” he concluded. “I find a lot of comfort in being a nurse in the burn center. While my brother isn’t with me physically, I know he lives on in me and my mission to help others during their darkest days.”
