Everyone agrees that burnout and staffing is a problem in nursing right now, but not everyone has taken concrete action to heal, support and uplift nurses the way that Liezl has. Despite never having conducted research before, she dove into a study of her colleagues’ well-being, collecting qualitative data about what her colleagues were experiencing. Then she doggedly implemented evidence-based interventions to improve well-being. 

As a leader on the float team, she introduced the idea of stress first aid, a framework that float nurses can use to address staffing needs and to support each other and their colleagues. She also developed a relax and reset program for nurses across the UCLA Health system, in which nurses could come by during a shift for reiki healing, massage, aromatherapy and a sound bath. These services were actually provided by other UCLA Health nurses, making the idea of nurses supporting other nurses very literal. The program was also extraordinarily effective: More than 150 nurses participated, and 91 percent were experiencing moderate to extreme stress. After the relax and reset, 82 percent reported mild to low stress.  

Liezl listens to her colleagues with openness and a willingness to consider all points of view. In her dedication to healing the healers, she is spreading hope about the future of nursing. Â