Long-term, Trusting Relationships Make Nursing at Mosaic Rewarding

Bryce Runge starts each day as a nurse at Mosaic in Axtell, Nebraska, the same way. He walks through the house of men he supports, greeting them all and checking in with staff to see if there are any immediate needs. He never knows exactly what the rest of the day will bring, but he knows it will be rewarding.

National Nurses Week 2026

National Nurses Week is May 6-12, and we’re taking a moment to shout out the 67 amazing nurses across Mosaic’s 12-state network. 

These professionals do it all, from catching the small stuff like a cold to managing ER follow-ups and tracking health trends. Whether they’re deep in paperwork, monitoring meds, or teaching our direct support professionals what to look for, they keep people healthy and safe.

Three of our nurses, including Bryce, shared the rewards and challenges of the job. Here’s what they had to say:

Bryce Runge, Mosaic in Axtell

The people supported by Mosaic in Axtell were familiar to Bryce long before he started as an employee. Bryce grew up in the small town, and both his mother and grandmother had worked for Mosaic. He followed in their footsteps, pursuing a career in direct care and management at Mosaic.

Two years ago, Bryce sought a change and enrolled in nursing school.

“I’m now an LPN and the unit nurse for the home I managed. I’ve worked with the same guys for most of my 15 years here. I enjoy the rapport that comes with long-term care.”

The reward of long-term relationships also comes with sadness at times, Bryce admits. 

“The hardest thing is individuals passing away over the years,” he said. “The memories are awesome, but you miss them. It’s tough.”

Bryce works on one of the two Mosaic campus settings. Most of Mosaic’s nurses, however, work in home- and community-based settings, supporting people who live in group settings or with a Mosaic at Home® provider. Nicole Johnson and Jennifer Sanders are two of those nurses.

Nicole Johnson, Mosaic in Terre Haute

Nicole Johnson, a Mosaic nurse in Terre Haute, Indiana, supports people who live in group settings. Like Bryce, she sees value in building relationships.

“I want to be a person they can trust, someone they can go to, or even just someone to talk to,” she said.

Establishing strong relationships and having conversations helps her assess people’s needs, she said. 

“I’m observing them while I’m having a conversation,” she said. “I’m making sure that they’re being well taken care of and that there are no concerns noted.”

Nicole found that working with the people at Mosaic also helps her learn and understand what’s available to her own son, who is on the autism spectrum, and provides the flexibility she needs as a parent.

Jennifer Sanders, Mosaic in Rockford

For Jennifer Sanders, a Mosaic nurse in Rockford, Illinois, who works with people in group home and Mosaic at Home® shared living settings, the most rewarding part of her job is putting the pieces together to understand someone’s needs.  

“Some of the people I work with can’t answer a simple question like, ‘Does your head hurt?’ so we have to figure out how to know if their head hurts when they’re not really saying the words,” she said.

Often, she said, behaviors such as throwing things or outbursts are seen as mental or behavioral issues; however, they might instead be an indicator of physical pain they’re not able to communicate with words. 

The most challenging part, Jennifer says, is finding health care providers that accept Medicaid and who understand how to care for people with disabilities. 

“Working with insurance and trying to find places that will accept the individuals we serve is not easy sometimes,” she said. “Dental programs are especially hard to find when the people we support only have Medicaid.”

Despite those challenges, Jennifer said it’s the people she serves who keep her at Mosaic. 

“Even on my days off, I struggle to turn my phone off,” she said. “The people are like family.”

Celebrating Mosaic’s Nurses 

Working with people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities is a unique niche within the nursing profession. Those called to this field do more than provide treatment; they serve as advocates who bridge the gap between complex healthcare needs and a high quality of life. While the daily demands are sometimes unpredictable, one thing is certain: It’s always rewarding.

Interested in making an impact as a Mosaic nurse? Visit MosaicCareers.org to search employment opportunities.