Meet Leslie Gruenberg, LPN in Philly

As we know firsthand many times over, there is an incredibly special kind of nurse who specializes in end-of-life care. Leslie Gruenberg, LPN of Crossroads in Philadelphia is one of them. What is it that makes her excellent?

According to Philadelphia Clinical Director Dannell Miller, APRN, Leslie “always puts her patients first. She is an amazing patient advocate.” Dannell said Leslie is a “go to” for emergencies and situations requiring an unexpected quick response. Dannell thinks of Leslie as a team member who truly goes “above and beyond.”

But the biggest compliment Dannell gave Leslie is that she would want Leslie to care for one of her own loved ones in hospice care.

“What it comes down to is compassion,” Leslie explained. Echoing what Dannell had said, “I treat people like a family member, how I would want someone I love to be treated.”

Emulating the Care She Received

Leslie reminisced that she had always wanted to be a nurse. Her life’s goal has been to emulate the care she received as a seriously injured 17-year-old after being hit by a drunk driver when crossing the street as a pedestrian. Her recovery was long and the nursing care she received was everything.

Now, 58, Leslie said she manages compassion fatigue with an incredible personal support system and an understanding that, like so many hospice professionals, going above and beyond is just the way she’s wired.

Before working in end-of-life care, Leslie spent more than 20 years as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) where she said she observed so much traumatic, sudden death.

Helping patients manage their pain and spiritual needs as they approach a peaceful, attended death is so rewarding in comparison, according to Leslie.