2014 Health Care Champions Honoree: Sterling Kromas

Sterling Kromas has dedicated his life to helping people during their most vulnerable moments. It’s a calling he heard after facing his own life-altering event as a teenager.

“When I was younger, I was the cause of a [car] accident and found myself in the (Young Traffic Offenders program) class I teach now,” said Kromas, a registered nurse in the emergency department at Mercy Hospital Springfield. “That class changed my life and I knew that being an ER nurse was my calling.

“I am a ER nurse because not only am I an adrenaline junkie, but because it gives me a true chance to save lives.”

 Kromas says trauma prevention is key in saving the lives of teens before they – or their potential victims – reach the ER. YTOP takes teenagers and young adults who have had a traffic violation, DUI or DWI and shows them what happens to a patient when they come through the emergency trauma center, going through the ambulance bays, visiting the heli-pad and running a nursing scenario. Kromas also assists in docu-dramas at local high schools, which attempt to simulate a real accident scene, including a previously wrecked car, student actors, local fire and police and Mercy Lifeline.

“The goal is to make the students feel as though the story is revolving around them as a patient,” he says. “Mentally, it is very difficult to take care of trauma patients, especially when they are young children or teens.”

One of only four safety officers in the Mercy Emergency Department, Kromas also helps run large-scale disaster drills to better prepare the hospital for catastrophic situations, such as the EF5 tornado that struck Joplin. During the last drill, Kromas helped coordinate 20 area organizations, including the Springfield Police and Fire departments. He also is a hazardous materials instructor for new nurses in the department.

In a constant state of influx and on the brink of chaos as trauma cases roll through the door, Kromas says the emergency department has rightfully earned its nickname as “the trenches,” however, the department is much more than trauma care. In fact, he says only about 10 percent of patients who come through the door are trauma or in critical condition.

“Unfortunately, the ED has become a primary care type clinic for those who do not have insurance,” he says, adding the department has become a shelter for the homeless during extreme weather conditions and a rehabilitation hospital for patients looking to detox. “Nursing is much more than starting IVs, drawing blood or giving medications. It is very much a holistic medicine as well.

“Not only do I treat and care for patients’ physical injuries, but I also help with their emotional or psychological needs.”

Kromas says each patient has a story and it’s an art to know when to listen and when to talk. It’s a trait others admire in Kromas’ style of nursing.

“Sterling is an excellent communicator, which helps him deliver exceptional patient care,” says Pam Holt, director of Patient Education for Mercy Ministry. “Sterling is a leader who exhibits compassion and experience. His patients love him.”

It’s that love of patients that drives Kromas. He says despite the cliche, the saying holds true, “saving lives and making a difference,” is why he became an ER nurse.

“We are gladiators in scrubs and fight every day for a job that we love and for people that we don’t know but care deeply about,” he says.[[In-content Ad]]