Heart of Healthcare: Mayo’s Ben Kruse exudes knowledge, compassion
Story by Emily Pyrek
Photo by Peter Thomson
Copyright 2022 by La Crosse Tribune
Blog note: Ben is the son of Barb and Joe Kruse. Ben and Nichole are the parents of three.
Ben Kruse had a number of jobs before pursuing nursing, and when he joined the staff at Mayo Clinic Health System, his vast experiences and knowledge proved invaluable in the hospital setting.
Kruse graduated with a degree in Spanish, working as an interpreter before taking a job at nonprofit Place of Grace and assisting with a mission trip. Reading a book about medical service in Haiti inspired him to take his passion for service work into the healthcare field, and after becoming a CNA Kruse worked in a nursing home. He later furthered his education to be a registered nurse and joined Mayo eight years ago.
Each of his careers has had an impact on his role at Mayo, where he exudes compassion and has the ability to communicate with patients for whom Spanish is their first language.
“We cared for a patient together who did not speak English,” says Kruse’s colleague, respiratory therapist Sarah Burnham, who nominated him for a Heart of Healthcare award. “Ben communicated with the patient effortlessly, and Ben helped me understand so that I could also be part of the conversation. He helped the patient feel comfortable by getting items printed in their language and made the patient’s experience at Mayo outstanding.”
While Mayo has interpreters onsite, having Kruse able to speak with the patient at the moment allowed him to learn about the symptoms the patient was experiencing and provide the necessary care faster.
“I have worked with Ben for several years, and have seen him go above and beyond every day to not only treat, but really care for his patients,” Burnham said in her nomination letter. “He really is the ultimate nurse because of his calming and friendly personality to his patients and other staff members he encounters day to day. I see that he has a joy in doing his work, and the expertise and knowledge he provides to his patients is exceptional.”
From the beginning, Kruse was eager to enhance his abilities by asking questions, being a team player and picking up extra shifts. While working in the ICU, Kruse enjoyed building an “amazing skill set” in the challenging role of keeping track of multiple measurements and needs at once, while always being alert to even subtle patients. Today, he takes the mentor role himself.
When COVID hit, Kruse already had experience with ventilators and other equipment needed to care for those with severe cases of the virus. But entirely new was the halt of visitation, and the difficulty of communicating with families who couldn’t be there for a face to face discussion. At times there was no one to talk to on behalf of a patient, and staff had to make the decisions for them. Adding to the stress was an influx of ICU patients — at one point half of those patients were there for the coronavirus.
“It was exhausting because it was new. It was a different disease progress. It was hard to tell when the patients were improving or not improving,” Kruse said. “You could put in so much effort and really not know if we were making a difference or not.”
During the height of the pandemic, Burnham says, Kruse provided “strength and support to his co-workers. He has jumped in to assist with medical emergencies.”
Kruse, who is currently enrolled in a nursing anesthesia program and working only a limited number of shifts, calls his Heart of Healthcare nomination, “A little surreal. I recognize that nurses everywhere give so much effort and step up to the plate. And we rely so much on other staff members, who contribute really key pieces to patient care.
“It’s hard for me to say that there is any one nurse who is deserving — you work as a team,” Kruse continued. “There is no way you do nursing on your own. To have a good outcome you need everyone’s input. I’ve been lucky enough to work with great people. I feel lucky that I’ve been able to do nursing.”
To Burnham, Kruse is no doubt worthy of the award.
“Ben is very deserving of this recognition,” Burnham said. “He is selfless, kind, and a good nurse and friend to all.”
Mary, Mother of the Church 