Listening at the Heart of Nursing

Ashleigh Huff knew she wanted to be a nurse before she could spell it. “When I was around age 4, that’s when I realized I wanted to be a nurse,” she recalls. Her mother was training to be an LPN while pregnant with Ashleigh. “I was in the womb when she was in LPN school.”

From then on, nursing wasn’t just a dream but part of Ashleigh’s identity. She remembers playing with the empty syringes her mom brought home from class, nursing her dolls back to health, and knowing with certainty that one day, she’d wear scrubs, too.

Today, Ashleigh is a family nurse practitioner, but her journey began — and was shaped — by years on the front lines as a nurse in one of the most intense environments in healthcare: the emergency department.

Built in the ER

“The emergency room is my bread and butter — that’s my background,” she says. From 2017 to 2022, Ashleigh worked as an ER nurse, delivering fast, high-stakes care with confidence and heart. “I thrived in that environment really well.”

Her experience in the ER taught her how to act quickly, listen closely, and adapt constantly — lessons that still shape how she cares for patients today.

Now in a family practice setting, Ashleigh sees some patients consistently, which has opened a new dimension of nursing for her: relationship-based care. “A lot of times in ER, you treat them, and then they’re gone,” she says. “In family practice, I see them every couple of months.” Unlike the ER, where encounters are brief and urgent, family medicine gives her the chance to build trust over time — especially with patients who often feel unheard. 

"A lot of people don't have a provider that listens to them and hears what they're saying. I might not know all the answers the first go-round, but I'll figure it out. We’ll figure it out together."  

Many of the individuals Ashleigh sees are from low-income or minority populations and face barriers to care. As part of a federally qualified health center, Ashleigh works to manage chronic conditions in ways that are not just medically sound, but financially sustainable. It’s a delicate balance — one she navigates by listening closely, staying curious, and meeting patients where they are. 

“A lot of people don't have a provider that listens to them and hears what they're saying. I might not know all the answers the first go-round,” she says, “but I'll figure it out. We’ll figure it out together.”

Throughout Ashleigh’s journey from the emergency room to family practice, what’s remained consistent is her commitment to listening — really listening.

Eko helps her hear more clearly

Ashleigh lives with hearing loss in her left ear resulting from a childhood injury. “I don’t hear certain frequencies,” she explains. When in nursing school, she was unable to hear the body sounds her peers were hearing.  “My other ear would try to compensate, but it would be so overcrowded by all the other artifact noise that comes with stethoscopes."

“That’s when I found Eko.”

Ashleigh bought herself the 3M™ Littmann® CORE Digital Stethoscope as a graduation gift, and the first time she used it was unforgettable.

Featured: 3M™ Littmann® CORE Digital Stethoscope

“I could hear murmurs so quiet that with a regular stethoscope, you don’t hear them.”

She didn’t just regain her confidence — she amplified it.

Now, with the Eko CORE 500™ Digital Stethoscope and the Eko App, she’s expanding her toolkit even further.

The Eko App is a valuable extension of Ashleigh's clinical workflow, especially when collaborating with colleagues. “I like the fact that I can record it, play it back, and bring it to a colleague and ask, ‘What are you thinking here?’” she says. With Eko+, she’s also able to securely save and share recordings, adding a new layer of flexibility to patient care. 

Moments for listening, and teaching

One of her favorite features of the CORE 500™ is the rhythm strip, especially when identifying atrial fibrillation, which she sees often.

“If somebody’s in AFib and their rhythm has no P waves, I can show them, ‘This is what I’m hearing, and this is what I’m seeing,’” she says. 

For many patients, it’s the first time they’ve ever seen their own heart rhythm. “To be able to show them now what I’m hearing — for them to physically see it — blows my mind.” 

These moments of connection, whether hearing a murmur for the first time or watching their heart rhythm in real time, are more than just clinical wins.

They’re powerful teaching tools, trust-builders, and reminders that care isn’t just about diagnosing; it’s about empowering.

Motivated to make a difference

For Ashleigh, the most meaningful part of her work isn’t always found in a diagnosis or treatment plan — it’s in the gratitude her patients express, often in ways that stay with her long after the visit ends. 

During her time at a previous practice she spent two years building relationships with patients who often didn’t have anyone else to turn to. “Several of my patients cried and were so upset with me for leaving,” she recalls. “It broke my heart because leaving them was the hardest part.”

That connection came from listening without judgment and creating space for more than just symptoms. “I had patients admit to drug use that they had never admitted to any other provider,” she says. Whether someone was dealing with chronic illness, divorce, or just needed to talk, Ashleigh met them with a listening ear.

"There are people that come through who are truly grateful. And they’re this little beacon of light. That’s what keeps me going."  

Not every day is easy. But then come the reminders of why she stays — like spotting subtle lab abnormalities others overlooked. One patient, referred to hematology just to be safe, later called to thank her. “She said, ‘I wanted to say thank you, because nobody else had ever gone further than just saying, ‘that’s fine.’”

Those moments — the quiet thank-yous, the trust earned — keep Ashleigh going. “There are people that come through who are truly grateful. And they’re this little beacon of light,” she says. “That’s what keeps me going. Knowing that I am helping people and making a difference.”

From the ER to family practice, Ashleigh’s career journey reflects what it means to be in the nursing field: the ability to listen deeply, and care endlessly.

MKT-0003712