Ms. Harrington is the Lead LPN at American Lake for Primary Care. Her role is new, and she has embraced this challenge with fierceness and determination. This role is the first time in the clinic that Clinical Associates have leadership who understand their role. Her clinical practice prior to the role has a reputation of excellence and even in her leadership role, she is often the first to jump in and volunteer to speak with an upset veteran or a complicated patient care issue. She has developed trust and confidence with all Clinical Associates on the unit, and they seek guidance from her daily to ensure they are delivering the right care to the right person.

Crystal is committed to delivering the best veteran care, and she volunteered to lead the recruitment charge on the unit without being asked. She goes above and beyond to complete all the tasks required for recruitment daily, and she communicates her progress to unit nursing staff on leadership rounds. Her advocacy is above reproach.

For example, a veteran came into the clinic and refused to put on a mask. She immediately stepped in and went to the lobby to sit down and have a socially distanced conversation with this veteran. She was able to connect and build trust with this veteran to find out what the problem was and address it timely. Countless times she has demonstrated respect for the dignity of patients and nursing staff.

For example, a veteran was upset in the clinic related to pain issues. His behavior was escalating and the provider did not want police intervention. She understood the provider's intentions and was sensitive to the situation even though she followed VA policies and procedures for disruptive patients. She notified the police and escorted them to the unit and informed them of the situation. The police hung back outside the room to allow the provider to attempt to de-escalate the situation. She respected the nursing staff by activating the police to assist, and she also respected the provider's request to minimize distractions that may further upset the veteran. She strives for excellence continuously and even jumps into patient care when staffing is critically low like today. She recently developed a scrubbing system to address chronic Clinical Associate shortages for the unit. She supports the unit nursing staff daily to provide the best care for our veterans and she supports nursing staff in their challenges to want to come to work with a smile and do their best.