Leslie Clarkston - Springfield Regional Medical Center

Leslie Clarkston began her employment at Springfield Regional Medical Center five years ago as a participant in the hospital’s ACE program, which selects the best new graduate nurses and cultivates their growth through continued education and clinical experiences. During that program, Leslie was noticed as a standout nurse. She is praised for communicating well with physicians and for being flexible, compassionate, and an educator and mentor to her co-workers. She also serves as a patient advocate to meet patient care needs. Leslie credits her patients with teaching her how to be a better nurse. They leave “lasting impressions on me,” she says. “A lot of the time it’s because they’ve said something to me that really helped me understand the impact that I’m having on their life.” A colleague observes, “Leslie is very aware of her patients and their needs and will make sure everything is available.” She is the first to jump to answer a call light or help new patients arriving on her unit. Through all she does, her colleagues say she “carries out our core values of compassion, sacredness of life, human dignity, and service with heart and professionalism.”