Leslie Spaugh, BSN, RN

I was covering for the CT Surgery Clinic in the Cardiology Clinic area. Normally, one of my other team members covers the clinic, so I am a little lost when functioning in the clinic, as I primarily function on the inpatient side, but I was covering for someone on vacation.

When in clinic, the CTS Service does not normally get a nurse assigned to their patients who weighs, gets vitals, and puts the patients in a room, but the clinic has been short of both nurses and techs. So Leslie, even though she had her own patient load, took the time to get all my patients ready and in rooms to be seen. She really helped out the techs and was a real help for me.

One of our clinic patients was late for his appointment, so when I called to find out where he was, the father told me he and the mother had been in family court that morning, and the child had been taken from their custody.

While still covering her own clinic patients, Leslie took the time to contact both the Missouri and Illinois Departments of Family Services in order to locate this patient, who had recently had open heart surgery and required follow-up. Once she determined it was Illinois DFS, she found out who the caseworker was for the child and obtained their contact information. She then contacted the caseworker and got them to the clinic that afternoon so the child could be seen.

After being seen, I discovered the caseworker had left without getting a copy of the incision and bathing instructions for the child, which would be essential for the foster family to have. By this time, the clinic was closed.

I returned to the clinic the following morning to see if I could get the caseworker's information from Leslie so I could fax it to her. Once again, even with her own load of patients, Leslie took the information and faxed it herself.

This is not atypical of Leslie's work ethic. She is always helpful and cheerful in doing so.