Mike Romano enjoys running marathons and takes that extra stride in listening to patients' needs at a busy 45-bed telemetry/intermediate care unit.

A staff nurse at the center since 1999, Romano takes the time to let patients know that he understands their feelings and fears about being in a hospital setting. "This is a real important step because once this is established, trust can be developed and once you have trust, you can start to do some healing."

In one case, Romano gained the respect of his peers as well as the medical and ancillary staff when a gastric bypass patient who had complications and was bedridden for eight months and considered nonrehabilitative was made a candidate for nursing home placement. Romano recalled that being put in a nursing home was the woman's greatest fear so he gave her a "pep talk" and, the next day, got her out of bed and into a chair for the first time since her surgery.

Although physical therapy had signed off on the woman, Romano rounded up his peers and began to work with the woman, who eventually was able to go home. "I had the pleasure of taking care of her a lot and when she said she didn't want to go to a nursing home I said, 'OK, we'll see what we can do,' " Romano said. "She did the work-I just motivated her and patted her on the back when she needed it."

Romano said that taking a holistic approach to patient care is a natural part of his job. "It's just doing what a nurse should do in caring for the whole patient," he said. "I listen to patients and try to develop a plan of care that best suits them."

When a deaf man who was worried about being admitted to the hospital because of his communication difficulties with people who didn't know him, Romano went out of his way to be kind and make the patient comfortable. The man's sister praised Romano, saying, "Mike was very kind and professional. He went above the call of duty to keep my brother comfortable."

One woman whose mother was a patient when Romano was charge nurse appeared unduly upset and Romano took time to notice and listen to her concerns. "It was so nice to talk to someone who genuinely cared," the woman told the staff.

Romano said such positive feedback from patients is rewarding and makes coming in for 12-hour shifts Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays worthwhile. He said the floor sees a variety of patients from the ICU, ER, cardiology, psychiatry and oncology overflow and there's always a new challenge.

"I think almost all patients feel they're in a vulnerable position," said Romano, who earned his nursing degree from Creighton University in Omaha and now is studying to be a family nurse practitioner while working full time. "They're sick, lose a lot of control, get placed and assigned a number, so I listen to patients and communicate and try to be a bridge between them and the rest of the system."

As a preceptor, Romano helps novice nurses acquire the skills necessary for quality care and emphasizes teamwork and problem solving.

Romano said he became a nurse because he always wanted to care for people and help them feel better and invest in their own health. After he gets his NP in 2004 from the University of Nebraska, he'd like to work with underserved populations in a community setting.

As busy as he is, Romano manages to stay in shape by jogging and he's even run a couple marathons in Iowa and Chicago. "I enjoy running-it's good for my mental health."